Disclaimer: Sweet Jesus, if I really owned anything, this story would be on television!
To all who reviewed: I'm really glad everyone liked the random twist with Escaflowne that I added in. Honestly, it was so spontaneous…Ah…Good times…Anyway, thanks for your much needed support! Hope you like the next installment! It is very random…
Chapter Twenty NineThe oldest advisor sat in the carriage, awake, watching the scene as the others had dozed off. Haru watched with sad eyes as the left Fanelia and headed towards Togane. They advisors had come back to review the area, and they did not like what they had seen.
The country was in shambles. The Yoshidarian army had caused more damage than Zaibach. I'm getting too old for this…Haru mumbled in thought. We need to rebuild Fanelia…Most of our able men and women are in different countries now…Who knows if they'll come back…After this…Oh, Van, can you ever forgive me? Your father would be ashamed of my actions…I'm sorry…
His thoughts wandered over to the condition of his friend, his majesty, King Van. It had been a bloody battle…He could not even stop Merle from her fate. Then again, if he had half of the authority he had before, he would have objected to the whole thing…
But, alas, majority rules.
And there were powers in numbers.
Haru wondered about how he was doing. He knew that Van would not be well; he had seen Escaflowne's state when the other advisors were checking the castle and the streets for any survivors. Somehow, the great guymelf's damages did not look like they were inflicted on it by man…or anything. They looked like they just happened.
A dislocated shoulder…broken ankle…broken fingers…broken ribs…and something with the eyes. Haru had mapped out Van's injuries before they had gotten the documents from the medical office. And he knew that he had to fix Escaflowne before anything had to be done.
Just like before…when the Zaibach War had begun. He began to remember all the texts he had read that dictated Fanelia's king'svictory—along with the other countries that helped, of course—and how all of them always had a section where they described the wonders of Van's guymelf.
Haru sat, rocking slightly whenever the carriage moved over a rock. He sighed. It would take a lot to do what he would be doing. I am too old for this…But if he was lucky, he would find who he needed to help. He couldn't ask another advisor to help…They would not believe him; they would dismiss his quarry as another old man's tale. They did not know the things that others knew. He hoped that he would be able to find the one he was looking for… She knows more than I do…
She was having that dream again.
The pendant was on the ground, in front of her, and she was sitting a few feet away.
The room was cast in darkness. There were no walls…no ceilings…just inky black and blue darkness.
And the pendant.
Lub-Dub
Lub-Dub
It only comes to me when there's something wrong…It only gives me its powers when something's wrong…Van's health is what's wrong…I already know that. She listened to it as it began to pulse again, but her eyes wandered. She did not want to look at the pendant. She knew what would happen afterwards. Instead, she looked around.
There wasn't much to see in the darkness, but sometimes, she would see the walls form shapes and shadows. They wouldn't look like much to begin with, but it was interesting to look at.
She felt dazed, tired and lightheaded again. Just like before. Regardless, she pushed herself to look at the walls…at the shadows.
Because the first time she had done this, she had found something.
It wasn't something that she liked, though. But it was something. Hitomi had seen Shina's figure before the ground cracked and she hoped that she wouldn't see it again. Not here…and definitely not now.
Still, her eyes carried on with its job: scanning the area. The darkness swished and swirled into itself, making shapes, but nothing concrete that she could identify. This place…I never looked this hard into it before…I never concentrated on the walls…only the pendant…And Shina…But she's gone now…
…There has to be something that I'm missing…This vision wouldn't have come back unless it is trying to tell me something… Breaking her thoughts, Hitomi followed a swirl of dark blue merge with a bigger black spot on the wall. Green eyes narrowed slightly to see what exactly it was.
The pendant's pulse was picking up again.
But she paid no attention to it. Her eyes stayed glued to the changing shadow. It morphed into something big…very big…with sharp edges and smooth curves…The pendant's pink light illuminated a large pink gem that stood on the left of the large shadow. It's…Escalfowne!
Hitomi gasped in realization as the figure in the shadow stood out more clearly. Has it been here all this time? As she was about to stand and walk towards it, the pendant had stopped, leaving her in the dark and unable to see it anymore. She had barely noticed the pendant's increasing pulse in the first place, but soon, she felt the ground crack again and she was falling.
She fell, and even though the vision was predictable, Hitomi felt fear in her heart as the one pair of hands wrapped around her waist. Although it was getting increasingly difficult to concentrate and see, she looked down and saw the skeletal hands.
Van's skeletal hands.
Hitomi's lungs filled with air in a pained manner. Oh God…Oh God…The bony grip was too tight, too cold. It squeezed her midsection, clutching to her as they fell.
As if its life depended on it.
Looking back up, before she got too dizzy, she saw Escalfowne's shadow again.
And she watched as it crumbled to a million pieces.
The hands that were around her waist suddenly disappeared. Nothing was holding her up anymore. She thought she saw feathers, but her vision was too dark…
And she fell.
From another troubled sleep, Hitomi was awakened by Matsushita's gentle rocking. "Milady…Please, wake up! You are trembling!"
Green eyes opened abruptly to view early morning light pouring into the windows. It was a prettier picture than what she was seeing before.
"My dear, are you okay?" Matsushita asked from beside her. "Do you want some water? Or go for a walk? You looked quite shaken up from that dream—
Vision
—you were having…"
"Yes. I want to get up." Hitomi nodded frantically, even though she still needed a few minutes to fully wake up. I have to see him now! Please, I can't be too late! Getting up quickly and swaying on her feet for a few seconds, Hitomi began to walk out of the room. Matsushita made a move to assist her on her walk, but Hitomi held up a hand and refused swiftly.
There hadn't been much development on her plan to go back to Fanelia since yesterday; she still had no transportation to get there. And really, that's all she needed. She could find Escaflowne on her own. Merle had wanted to come too, but Hitomi and Kiyoshi had both refused.
Walking as quickly as she could to Van's room, Hitomi did not falter in her steps. She walked smoothly and made it to his room in three minutes. The pendant was pulsing again; it was weak, but fast. She did not question why it was doing that and strode into his room.
To be watched with eight pairs of eyes.
But one pair, she noticed, was staring with different eyes. The older man smiled. Do my eyes deceive me? What a strange coincidence…and turn of events…
The second she had stepped foot into Van's room, eight men, all varying in age, were looking at her strangely. As if they've never seen a woman before…She thought, wryly. Who are these guys? Before she could even open her mouth to ask such a question, they bet her to the punch.
"Who are you?" They all seemed to ask in unison.
"Visiting hours are not until later!" One cried.
"This is no place for you. We are discussing important matters…"
Once again, before Hitomi could retort to the young man who had made the last comment, Van piped up from his bed. Although his jaw still hurt, he called out in a loud, deep voice, "Y—You shall treat…treat her with respect. Do I make myself clear?" His voice did not carry the conviction it wanted, but it got his desired effect. His advisors had stopped pestering Hitomi. What is she doing here so early?
Filling herself with confidence, Hitomi held her head up. "My name is Hitomi Kanzaki. I'm here to see Lord Van. Who are you?"
The eldest man standing there, also one of the shortest, came forward. There was something in his eye when Hitomi looked at him. A spark of recognition, perhaps? "Good morning, milady, we are Van's council of advisors. We are also here to talk with him."
"Why haven't I seen you here before?" Hitomi asked. Advisors, huh? These are the guys that Merle doesn't like…The last time Hitomi had seen her, Merle had been complaining about them; 'Cowardly bastards!' was the one line she seemed to use a lot.
"We were…evacuated before the worst of the battle started…along with some of the civilians."
"I…I see." Was her only reply. There was something awkward about his response; the older man who did the talking had a sense of sadness in his words.
"How are your wounds doing?" He asked her, out of sincerity, checking out the wraps of bandages on her arms. The older advisor, Haru, walked closer to her, wanting their conversation to be kept quiet. It looked like he was the only one who remembered her out of the older members. Oh well…It would be a greater shame if I had forgotten…
Taken back, and shook out of her analysis, Hitomi stuttered. "Oh…They're—They're fine. I'm doing much better now. Thank you."
"Unfortunately, madam, Lord Van is not fairing too well." His tone got very quiet and soft. He was standing right in front of her and Hitomi realized why. He doesn't want Van to hear…The other advisors had caught on earlier and where talking to Van to distract him.
"Why? I thought all those—" Hitomi began to say, confused. Her eyes filled with anguish. I thought he was getting better…He sounds better…Oh no…Please, Van…
"—No…Even with those medical treatments, nothing is healing the way it should. It is taking too long…The wounds are still open…Nothing is taking place. And if you're the person who I think you are, you and I both know why." The older man's voice was just above a whisper, his eyes twinkling. Hitomi was startled in a way. He knows me? How does he know about Escaflowne?
"I've been in Fanelia for as long as I can remember. I've been on this council since Van's father was King at twenty one years of age. I know a lot about the Fanel history. I have been around long enough to know about Escalfowne. I have been here long enough to witness what his majesty and you did to the Zaibach Empire, Miss Hitomi."
Hitomi blushed slightly at the appraisal of her deeds. She tried to stammer out a word or two of thanks, but the man kept going. "I may not have been on the ships or at the battles first hand, but I know—and you know it too. If Escaflowne is damaged…Van is damaged. If Escaflowne gets fixed, Van is healed." There was a pause in his monologue. The man smiled genuinely at her. Keeping his voice soft, he continued. "They say, 'With age comes wisdom…'; my dear, I think it is safe to say that someone who is half my age knows what needs to be done.
"Of course…someone who is half my age has to know the reasoning that we know, right, Miss Hitomi?" The old man smiled again, chuckling a little. "I am so glad I had the chance to run into you. Those other men have no clue what I know…What we know…and they assume that there is no relation between the two…"
He looked back at them, checking to make sure they were keeping Lord Van occupied. "But there is. There is no denying it. I've been waiting until someone could come with me to Fanelia…someone who knew what Escaflowne really means to Van…Merle, Millerna and Allen are still too sick…Dryden is on the other side of the world…so I waited for you. I hoped that you were here and not on the Mystic Moon...I hoped that you were transported here to help us, like last time..."
The way the old man conveyed his words to her, Hitomi knew immediately that he was a good man. Maybe the one that Merle hadn't called a bastard…in the harshest tone. She nodded to him. "I need to get to Fanelia. Now. Something's going to happen to Escaflowne and—"
"—Miss Hitomi, I know…" He interrupted.
Looking down a little at the man, Hitomi whispered in a tone with a touch of anger, "Why didn't you come and talk to me earlier?…We could have done something already!" If he knew, why didn't he find me sooner?
"My dear…" The old man started, "…I did not know what room you were in. You have no real name here. You are just some nurse's patient…In addition, I have just arrived back from Fanelia."
His answer was so simple, it almost made her laugh. She wanted to ask why they hadn't come to the hospital first, but decided against it. The old man looked more tired than when she first came in; his age showing in his features. Dismissing her previous thoughts and calming her nerves from the excitement of her plan being put into action, Hitomi realized that this man knew her, but she did not even know his name. "Sir, who are you?"
"My name is Haru Morioka, and I am a very good friend of Van's…I have made a terrible mistake of being too quiet to his majesty..." Hitomi knew, for sure, that there was a deep pang of regret in his words now. Giving him a sympathetic look, she brushed the hair out of her eyes and asked him, "When do we leave?"
Hitomi had talked to Van shortly after her conversation with Haru. She realized that what Haru said about Van's wounds was true…There was no infection, but the skin was not healed at all. We have to get to Escaflowne…She had to tell him what they were going to do. He had told her not to go. It would be too dangerous; he wasn't worth it. It was a five minute battle of words between them; neither of them giving in to each other's stubbornness.
But Van had finally stopped when she had said that she didn't care about the danger.
She cared about him.
He had told her where to look for Escaflowne…in his weakening voice…and then, ended up signing the rest to her. Haru had translated to her that he wished for her to be careful because he cared for her too…and that he was cold. Before she left, she grabbed a blanket and covered him. Leaning in, she kissed him lightly on the lips as she was leaving.
Hitomi knew that this would be the last time his lips would be cold to her touch. He will get better now…Escaflowne is going to be fixed…
Haru had advised the doctors to put Van back to the pain-free sleep again. He did not give an answer for why, just a simple, 'Trust me.'
In a few more minutes, they were off. Hitomi had spoken to Merle briefly to tell her what was going on, and before she could protest or ask to come with, Hitomi stopped her. "Merle, it's okay…someone has to watch Van…I'll be fine." She had given Merle the most hope filled smile that the cat had ever seen, and she agreed. Hitomi had decided against going to talk to Allen and Millerna upstairs…not now…
There were too many things going on now. It just so happened that everything was fitting into place with her plan to go back to Fanelia. It was just…so…Perfect? Coincidental? Hitomi tried to find the word to it, but her head was buzzing with so much emotion it was impossible to think. Her thoughts constantly strayed toward Van…and how he would be well again. Her heart pumped loudly in her chest and her body felt warm. Not even the dreary weather made her lose the feelings.
It was just them two on the carriage back to Fanelia and by the time they had gotten there, Hitomi had almost fell asleep. The sky had turned grey; a sad overcast with a promise of rain. But that did not faze her. Nothing would.
"Miss Hitomi. We have arrived." Haru prodded her shoulder with his finger. Opening her eyes again, her vision was assaulted with the view of a crumbled and burned wasteland. She choked on her sobs. Oh…Oh no…All of the good feelings she had were gone again. Everything's…Everything's gone…Many buildings that she had remembered on her walk over were gone…The only thing that remained mostly in tact was Van's castle.
But even that was barely the size it used to be. Most of the walls had caved in, she noticed, but thankfully, all the fires were nothing more.
The carriage halted, jerking Hitomi forward. "My dear, it is best not to look." Haru commented slowly. "The rain will come soon. Quickly."
He helped her get out of the carriage and told the driver to stay put. "Escaflowne lies amongst the only trees left standing. It appears that not even the Yoshidarians dared to touch it…"
Hitomi stayed silent, racing forward towards the great guymelf. Her legs were finally working properly and she managed to go across the black fields with ease, jumping over fallen carts and trees when needed. Haru fell farther and farther behind, unable to keep up, but he told her to keep going and that he would meet with her there. The green tips of trees were in her vision already. Just…a little more…Her hair whipped wildly around her, the humid air making it hard to breathe…but she kept going. She was too close to let him slip from her fingers.
She would not sit around and watch Van die.
I don't want you to fade away
Hitomi pushed herself, using whatever strength she had left. She knew that it wouldn't solve all the problems Shina had made…but it would solve one of them, dammit. And hopefully, it would set the rest in motion. I have to do this…I need to do this…Tears were coming back again, but they would not fall. Not this time.
No, this time she would be sure that they wouldn't fall.
The pendant bumped up and down against her chest as she ran. If it had begun to pulse or point in the direction she needed to go, Hitomi was not aware. She raced through the thick forest of spared trees, the bark nicking her skin here and there, while her thoughts remained on Van. I can't lose him…No…not after all of this…I just need more time…I can't…I—I can't do nothing anymore… Her surroundings blurred past her; she did not look at anything…she just kept her eyes straight ahead and her mind on one thing. When a clearing come her way, she skidded to a halt, almost running past it. Almost running past Escalfowne.
Taking in a much needed deep breath, Hitomi put her hands on her knees, bending forward. She tilted her head up to stare at the mechanical beast, with all its damages. Esca…Escaflowne…Her eyes noted the small grave next to the guymelef and the destroyed burial marking. Folken…New memories came up again, but she suppressed them. She could not be distracted anymore. She had to do this.
Hitomi walked over and stood by its feet, craning her neck up to see the tip of Escaflowne's head. Pacing herself, Hitomi began to climb it, getting closer and closer to its midsection where the pink gem was. The body of Escaflowne was so smooth and cold…It troubled her. She tried not to make any of its wounds worse as she climbed over them or used them as a little leverage. Sweat pooled at her brow and although her arms, wrist and abdomen protested her movements from her own wounds, Hitomi made it.
Almost doubling over in exhaustion, Hitomi stood upright again as she stood in the lap of Escaflowne. Reaching forward towards the pink gem, she stretched her hand wordlessly to the tiny switch Dryden had flicked those many years ago. Van had told her where it was…She knew it was here…It had to be. Yes! There!
"Miss Hitomi!" A voice called from the ground, startling her a bit and faltering her movements. Haru had finally caught up with her and was breathing heavily. "Yes! Touch…Call them here!"
Turning her head back towards Escaflowne, Hitomi placed her fingers on the switch and flicked it. There was a beam of green light, brightening the scene, as the Ispano Clan heeded her call. A familiar large ship appeared in the sky and they wasted no time in climbing to where she was. They looked at her strangely but pointed to the ground, telling her to move. Two of the small, dark cloaked workers helped her down as the rest assessed the damage done to their creation.
Haru moved closer to Hitomi, who was trembling. "My dear, are you alright?"
Truth was, she didn't know why she was trembling. Happiness? Fear? Anxiety? Exhaustion? Maybe it was everything. It seemed too perfect. She never had the best of luck; there was something she was forgetting. Hitomi's heart hurt, like it was being squeezed from the inside. She had been so caught up in saving her angel…Her mind was on overdrive, only taking in the big picture. It was a habit of hers, unfortunately. She solemnly began to watch the cloaked men, or things, do their work when a group of six came up to her again.
One held out his hand. Before he could speak, Hitomi's mind switched gears, realizing what the little details were for once. The money! Oh God, the money! How could I have forgotten? Oh no…Oh no…Whatever feeling she had before was replaced with fear. Stupid! Stupid! Oh God, how could you make me forget? No! NO! What are you going to do now, you idiot? Stupid! What's Van going to do now? What? WHAT?
She was sobbing again and had barely heard the little Ispano say the price. "Two hundred thousand." The injuries to Escaflowne were not as great as the last time they were called, so the price was remarkably lower.
Haru blinked and reached inside his robes to pull out two large pouches, throwing them at their feet. "How much will this cover?"
Hitomi looked at the pouches with surprised eyes, then back at him. Stopping her thoughts for a moment, she asked, "H—Haru…What—?"
He interrupted her with a smile again. "Miss Hitomi, an old fool like me and his money are soon parted, regardless."
Her head was beginning to hurt. Everything was so surreal now. It was scaring her, but she had nothing to fear. Everything was…too much. Hitomi didn't know whether to feel happy or sad. Haru had clearly planned this out better than she had; he remembered the cost of repairing Escalfowne, while she—caught up amongst everything else—had forgotten. Stupid, stupid, stupid…You idiotic woman! What's wrong with you?
The Ispanos opened the pouches to find them filled with many gold pieces. They chattered amongst themselves, then turned back around. "It is not enough."
Haru stared down at them. "What will it fix?"
One of them pulled out a small blueprint of Escaflowne and a red, waxy stick. He circled all the minor cuts that were all over the body, thearm and the ankle. "Your money will fix all of this."
Hitomi sniffed loudly, brows furrowed on her face. Her eyes were red and puffy. But the green in her irises sparked determination. I will not let you down Van! She practically tore off her watch and added it to the pile. "How…" She started to say, "…How about now?"
The Ispanos looked at the strange mechanical device. One of them picked it up and looked at it. Talking to the others, they turned back to them. "The fingers will be fixed as well."
Haru looked back at Hitomi. "His ribs…That's the most important thing…his breathing will be difficult for the rest of his life if we don't fix them…"
Hitomi tried to think of something else of value to give to them…to at least repair the ribs…and maybe enough to cover some of the eye damage. Oh God…what do we do? What am I going to do? What else can I give? She had no other jewelry on her…
…Except…
She held out her last resort and dropped it onto the pile. Haru let out a gasped shock. "Hitomi!"
Her eyes furrowed deeply; her heart hurt too much now. I will not let you fade away…Hitomi blinked back her tears, not fully acknowledging what she was doing.
"Will this cover the cost of repairing his ribs…and a little of the cockpit?" Her eyes remained optimistic—even though her mind was not—as the Ispano men looked on at the trinket they were being offered.
The pendant
They nodded. "The ribs will be fixed. The left side of the cockpit will be restored enough so that it can function, but that is all. Not a hundred percent…" The front man quickly snatched the pendant and stared at it. The pendant's light had died down; it had lost its glow. It looked like any other necklace now, but the Ispanos knew it would be a great addition to their collections.
Her entire body was filled with a blinding white hope and love as the little men began to work. There were no more tears of sadness or pain. She felt something tug at her heart again. But it was something different; a different feeling this time. Something wonderful.
Even though her tears would not fall, the rain had finally started.
And Hitomi smiled.
Firstly, I wanna say I'm sorry this took so long. AND, I'm sorry this chapter is very long. The addition of the advisors was the only way it could work…so, yeah.
Secondly, I am officially18! w00t! My birthday was a few days ago!
Thirdly, there is probably only one more chapter left…with the possibility of an epilogue.
Hope you all liked it!
PLEASE REVIEW!