Disclaimer: For the last time…I shant to own anything. However, I do own the entire series (which I will re-watch soon enough), the movie (which I have watched twice even though the disc is scratched and I can't see the ending)…and a strange love for Samurai Champloo…(ahem) Moving along.

To all who reviewed: I can't thank each and every one of you enough! (hugs) I'm glad you liked Chapter 30…(chocolate) Thank you thank you thank you!

Alas, the last chapter…There will be fluff!

Chapter Thirty One

The tall grass in the hospital's field was soft and wet from the rain and they tickled Hitomi's bare arms as she sat in them. The clouds began to break up, giving her the sight of a pre-sunset sky. The blue that was usually there was turning a yellowish white and a few stars were poking through. The sun was visible at the edge of the horizon, getting ready to fall underneath it. And, of course, slightly to the left of the falling sun, was the bright, eerily striking sight of Earth and its moon.

Any artist would say the picture she saw was beautiful and calming, but Hitomi's insides were anything but calm. Although it had been some time since the exchange of words between Van and her, Hitomi's thoughts had not reached any conclusion. In fact, they hadn't been on the topic in a while.

Her mind was a blank canvas, only commenting on the nature around her; the insects, the rock formations, the grass… She kept avoiding the subject, but that was fine by her. The less she thought about it, the less it hurt.

And she's had enough hurt in these weeks to last a lifetime.

Her arms and head were resting on her knees that were folded towards her chest. Her abdominal, wrist and arm wounds hurt in this position, but she ignored it. Since her head was resting on her knees, she noticed the condition of her clothes. The aqua track pants and orange T-shirt she had on were filthy…Full of dirt, dried blood, tears and holes…She had been wearing them day in and day out since she had returned. Her mind traveled to the thought that it was disgusting and completely unhygienic, but, it was the only clothes she had to wear. The hospital did not have anything…

I've been wearing these things since the day I returned from Earth to help Van fight Shina…That last thought replayed in her mind. …returned from Earth…Finally, the subject she had been avoiding had come up, even though she didn't want it to. She felt tears spring up in her eyes and she brought her knees closer together. I can't go back…She tried to think of another way to go back home, but she knew that if the pendant wasn't there, it would be impossible.

Although she had brought the pendant to her before, there was something different this time. No matter how hard she tried, she could not pick up the faintest indication of where it was. It's like it's hiding…or it's dormant…Like it wants me to stay here… She had no idea where the Ispanos kept it and it wasn't giving her any pulse for her to find it. …I can never go back…

A soft, cool wind blew through the grass, making ripples in her clothes and making her pause her thoughts. …What now? It still hurt her,right down to her bones.But, her mother had always told her to not cry over spilt milk. It happened. It's over. So, stop worrying about it.

But how can I not worry about it? This is…This is much bigger than a glass of milk… Her eyes moved upwards to look at the Earth in the sky. Her heart lurched painfully. …my mother…Yukari…Amano…I couldn't even say goodbye…She could feel her insides squeeze together at the idea of never seeing her mother or any of them again. She could never see or do the simple things on Earth again, like ride the bus or sitting down at a café or talking on the phone or even watching television. Green eyes stayed fixed on the Earth in the sky. She felt like crying, but no tears went down her face. She should be crying, but she wasn't. She wallowed in pain instead.

Why…? Why did I do that for? It was the pendant…the pendant…And now, it's not even giving me anything to locate it…I can't even feel it anymore…What—What will I do now? Of course, she knew exactly what she had to do. …I have to stay here. There isn't any other option…

Hitomi sighed in frustration, fatigue and sadness. I have no where else to go…Remembering her last time on Earth at the hospital, Hitomi's heart hurt even more. Mama wanted me to be happy…Am I? Am I happy that I'm with Van…and away from everyone else? The answer that would have come was disrupted when she heard someone coming from behind her. She did not look up to identify the person; it was probably one of the hospital workers…a few had passed by already…

But when she felt something whack her gently on the side, she turned her head to see a long white stick on the grass next to her. She watched the stick move along the grass, back and forth, back and forth, until it came up beside her to hit her again. Hmm? Finally, looking up, she saw Van. He was using the white stick and his left arm—outstretched and moving in front of him—to find his way around. The bandages were still around his eyes.

Hitomi quickly looked away. She did not want to talk about anything now. "Hitomi?" He called out, touching her lightly with the stick again. "Is that you?" He bent down a bit and tapped her shoulder.

Sighing and burying her head in her arms, she replied solemnly in a low whisper. "Yes." His voice was so strong, just like before…Every one of his aliments was gone. It made her feel a bit better, but her heart was still heavy. It was for a good cause…wasn't it? Was it worth it? Was it worth all of this?

Van moved the stick to the ground next to her, making sure it was unoccupied and safe to sit on. Slowly, but surely, Van seated himself by her right, placing the stick at his feet. "It is a nice night, isn't it? After all the rain…the wind is warm…"

Hitomi nodded in response, but then remembered that Van still had his bandages on. "Yes, it is." She mumbled, not looking up.

"Chid is doing well and Merle is getting stronger……Oh, Celena and Dryden have arrived…" He brought up aimlessly, "They've come to see Allen and Millerna. Those two are doing much better…" There was a bit of sadness in his voice as he trailed off, but Van did not want to continue on that topic. Before Hitomi had come back from Fanelia, Merle had told him, when she was in his room, that Yuki was still missing—presumed deceased—and he figured that such a conversation would not be fitting. Not now.

"That's nice." He heard her mumble, feeling her depression in every word. She was happy for them that they were better because she cared for them, but there was something else that weighed more on her mind. Van moved his hand in hopes to find her arm. He did end up brushing up against it, so he slowly rubbed it in a comforting gesture. Hitomi instantly felt a tingling sensation on her arm, warming her. …Van…

He breathed in deeply to quell his fast-paced pulse. Van had no idea how to start up this conversation; he had no preparation time. When he was being directed towards her, Haru had taken up his time by telling him the whole story about how she had given up the pendant to repair his ribs and part of his eye...to fix the most important parts. Such a sacrifice…

Van knew that he wouldn't be able to see perfectly out of it, but he didn't care. It would be good enough for him to get around, so it was good enough for him. He would take this one short-coming and live with it. His soul stirred a bit and he finally found his speech again. Say something! The silence between them was disturbed. "Hitomi…I—I was being selfish earlier and I wanted to thank you…" He turned his face to meet hers.

He heard the rustle of fabric. Maybe she's looking at me…Van paused a bit before continuing. "…I wanted to thank you for saving my life…by giving up a piece of yours."

Van heard more movement and figured that she had turned to face him completely. The next words out of her mouth startled him; they were so full of emotion, unlike her previous responses. "V—Van! Please! D—Don't say that…"

His no longer broken fingers wrapped around her arm, gripping lightly. "And…and, I'm sorry." He paused again to find the right words. "I'm sorry for what I had to make you do…for what you lost…"

"N—No, Van…please, don't say that either!" Hitomi stammered, staring at his bandaged eyes. "It…It isn't fair!" She sniffed loudly. "I—I—!"

Van grabbed her hand with his and interrupted her. "—Hitomi. I want to say it. I'm sorry that you had to…do that…to save me…The pendant means a lot to you, and to barter it to let me live…" He wasn't sure if the words he used were the greatest ones to say in her emotional state, but it wasn't like he could take them back now. I hope I don't do any more damage…

Although Van could not see them, tears began to fall. "No! Van, it…It was…It…" She couldn't find the words to explain herself. Hitomi grew flustered and turned away from him. She took a deep breath in to steady herself. "Van…I…I don't know anymore."

At the corner of her eye, she saw one eyebrow lift from underneath the bandage in a confused manner. "I did what I did…so that I could save you. If I could have done something to let you live, and I didn't, I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror anymore. You're too important to me…I can't just let you go or watch you suffer…I love you too much and I would do anything to keep you with me…"

Love? Did she say…love? Van's body shook lightly. "H—Hitomi…"

Her heart poured out the words of her soul, making her ramble. "—It's just that…that right now, nothing feels right anymore! It doesn't…I'm happy because you're better…but I'm sad because of what I can't do anymore. I don't feel right and it hurts, dammit! I really hurt right now because nothing makes sense to me…" Her arms shook and her body trembled as she continued.

"I couldn't let you fade away…after waiting so long to see you again…after everything we've done…I couldn't just stand there anymore and watch you get sicker. I just couldn't do that…" She sniffed again, wiping her tears furiously, and her tone changed. It was more calm, Van noticed. "I don't know what to feel right now. Everything inside me is a mess. I want to stay here, with you…but, knowing that I can never go home again…that everything and everyone I've met on the Mystic Moon is no longer with me…it hurts, Van…"

There was a long pause and Van took the opportunity to speak again. "My mother told me something when I was little once…She used to say that when your world begins to flip upside down, it's better to go with it then fight against it. Change will always happen and there's no point in trying to maintain stability when the world is spinning underneath your feet…When you do that, you stay in the same spot and don't learn anything new or embrace it. If you choose to roll with it—even though it's difficult—when it finally stops, you'll be able to…to…" He didn't know where else to go with that statement. Any way he tried to word it in his head, it always came out bad.

I can't just tell her to forget about her home and embrace the new circumstances…I can't just say to live with it…or cut your losses and stick with the gains that you have… Van sighed at his incapability to say something meaningful to make Hitomi feel better. I don't even know why I brought up that story in the first place…

Hitomi noticed Van's uneasiness and his silence. She waited for him to continue; she could tell that he needed to say something and sadly, her heart told her that she had all the time in the world to wait. She wouldn't be going anywhere soon, her body reminded her desolately. "Van?"

His mind scrambled, but he managed to speak. "Hitomi…your home is not gone forever…It is still there. Inside you. It won't disappear…You are a strong woman and you will always be connected to everyone, just in spirit…The pendant may be out of your hands, but there will always be a connection there, between you and the people you love…" Van breathed out nosily through his noise. Gods, that was terrible…

She nodded slightly at his words; if the pendant was given to her grandmother, then it must have some connection to her family…"But, to never see it again?" Her voice still carried sadness, he could tell.

Moving his hand down her arm, he followed the path until he got to her hand. Holding it gently, causing Hitomi to flush, he spoke softly. "I know that it is hard…And it will take time…Your loss is great, and I understand that…Life is full of obstacles and terrible things, but it is also full of moments of joy. Your world is upside down. Everything you knew isn't there anymore…And, I know that it's hard to adjust…I—I'm sorry for what I had to make you do, but…but, I'll be here for you, okay? I'll help you through this in any way I can…I know that I'm not very good at that kind of thing, but I'll try…I'll be there for you when you need me to be…

"You make me happy, Hitomi, in a way that no one else can…I know that you're current situation is upsetting you and I know that you are upset because you won't be able to go back home…Hitomi, I hate it when you are sad…I will comfort you and make you happy because I love you…I love you, Hitomi and I always will, even if you're a dimension or two away from me. I know that the pendant is gone, but maybe…one day, when I have my kingdom back, maybe I could strike up a deal with the Ispanos to get the pendant back…And maybe—"

He loves…? She couldn't hear him anymore and her thoughts went through her head at a slow pace. He would do that…for me? He would give up his riches to send me home and make me happy, even though he'd lose me…? Without another thought, Hitomi quickly cut him off by moving towards him and hugging him. She knew that his plan might never work, but just the idea of him letting her go back…even though he would rather have her stay here…Van… He never saw it coming, but instantly felt the warmth as she embraced him and moved into his lap. She's…She's hugging me… "…Hitomi?" Van called out, startled. Against his bare skin, he could feel the tears that were wetting her cheeks as she hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her a few moments later to mimic her actions.

"Van…" She began but didn't finish. He'll be there…And it seemed that right now, when she was most vulnerable and upset, that was all that really mattered. She had someone with her…to help her deal with all the things that she would no longer have. It would not immediately erase all the anguish, but it was a start. Hitomi burrowed her head in his shoulder, breathing in his scent, feeling the warmth that his body emitted. Those very simple words…

It was at that moment, that exact second in his arms, where all the fear and sorrow melted away. It was only a brief second of momentary relief, but she knew that at that second, there was no other place she would rather be than with him, right here.

Because her angel was with her.

And she knew that he wouldgrab her before she fell.

There was a long silence as they embraced, neither letting go. "…Van…" Hitomi continued, her voice shaking, "Please, don't be sorry…I'm glad that you're okay…I'm glad that I was able to help you."

"Yes…Thank you, Hitomi. For everything you have brought into my life." He replied softly, smiling a little and holding her closer. "I want nothing more than to see you happy, Hitomi…And I will do everything in my power to make you smile again. Although you have every right to be sad…to be unhappy…I want you to know that I will be here for you, to make you content, because I—I love you too much to see you sad…" She clung tighter to him, not wanting to let the warmth she felt leave her body.

"Thank you…" She mumbled; Hitomi could feel her emotions about her loss begin to rise in her chest, threatening to explode again, but she willed herself to be calm...just for a little while longer…There was hope, she knew, and she held on to it. There was that thin sliver of pure hope that was inside her blackened mind. It was all she had right now to settle her heart a little. She just hoped that she could see everyone one more time to tell them that she's okay…and that everything's okay…and not to worry because she's in good hands here…She knew that Van would keep his promise and she hoped that it would be enough. No, she knew that love would be enough…His love would be enough to lighten her current darkness.

It hurt. It pained her soul to know that her world may never greet her eyes again; part of her was missing. She loved her mother, her friends, her coworkers…But this was something different. This was something else…There was no word to describe it to her, but there was something that told her that she would be okay here. Her heart stopped beating so harshly and Hitomi finally felt calm as she sat there in his arms.

Hitomi was never one to really believe that everything could be solved with love, but this felt different…there was a stronger bond there. It was different because of all the things they had done together. She knew that nothing was exactly fixed yet, but in his arms, she felt a sense of security that no matter what, as along as Van was with her, she would be fine.

And because of what she did, by repairing Escaflowne, she figured he would be with her for a while longer. I'm glad that you're okay…

A cooler breeze sifted through the grass, causing them both to shudder a bit.

"Hitomi?" Van's voice was light as he changed the subject. Her body was still against his, so he figured that she was okay again…even if it was for this one moment. "Is the sun setting?"

Cracking an eye open, she looked. The orange glow of the sun was indeed dipping below the horizon. "Yes…It is."

"Can you tell me what it looks like?"

The request was so strange to her: no one had ever asked her that before. Turning her head slightly, towards the sun, she began her description for Van. She rambled about how the grass was shining, how the rocks' colour was distorted, how the clouds were drifting away, how the colours of the sky were changing and how the stars were shining. Of course, she talked about the Mystic Moon and its companion in the sky, and how they glowed in the light. It pained her to talk about them, but she did. She continued to describe every detail of the sky, the ground, and even the little creatures that came by until the sun's circular shape was covered completely by the horizon.

He smiled again after she was finished. "…It sounds beautiful…"

Making her body fit nicely into his, Hitomi sighed deeply and returned to their embrace. It hurt, yes, and it always would, but somehow, knowing that she would be with him made her heart a little lighter…a little more relaxed…a little more calm.

Focusing on the better feelings, Hitomi closed her eyes and wrapped herself in the warmth she felt Van giving her. I want you to be happy…Her mind replayed her mother's voice and she nodded. She was perfectly happy, just sitting there with him, in the grass.

With him.

Van.

She felt the grass tickle her again…the sweet wind wrap around them along with little things that it blew around…at this moment, for another second, her mind said that everything was going to be okay.

And she smiled.
You belong on Gaea.

"Ms. Kanzaki, do you need help with anything?" Amano asked, as he set the last dish on the table. Yukari had just exited the kitchen, bringing utensils and cups for the three of them.

"Amano, I want none those formalities. My name is Nozomi…You make me sound like a grandmother!" She called out from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Amano!" Yukari playfully scolded. After laughing when he gave her the glare of a lifetime, she repeated his question. "Nozomi, do you need any more help?"

"No, no…" They heard her voice. "You two are guests for lunch! Sit down…The soup is almost ready." Both sighed and sat. Even if she was our guest for lunch, she would insist upon making food…Yukari thought, smiling. Hitomi's mother never changes…

There was a comfortable silence between the two newlyweds, as each began to take some dumplings and rice from the bowls in front of them into their plates. Just as Yukari was about to indulge in her dumpling, Amano made her stop. "I wonder if Hitomi's alright…" He breathed out, in a whisper, eyes cast downward at his rice.

"Shh…Don't start on that…You don't want Nozomi to here, do you?"

"Don't want me to hear about what? Is there a surprise party that I'm not supposed to know about?" Yukari cursed her luck as Hitomi's mother came into the room, holding a tray with three bowls of miso soup on top of it. She set it down and gave them their bowls before taking her own and finally sitting down herself.

Both stayed quiet, not wanting to bring up the subject. It had been on their minds since the day Hitomi was released from the hospital and Nozomi had told them what happened. 'She's with that man…On that strange planet with her grandmother's pendant…' But that was all she knew.

Anything could have happened since then.

Chopsticks tapped against plates as the three began to eat, not saying a word. Nozomi looked from Amano to Yukari, waiting for them to say something. However, when nothing was said, even about her little joke from before, she spoke up. "I—I know that you are worried about Hitomi…There's no need to try and hide it from me."

Yukari almost choked on the mushroom she had in her mouth. Swallowing quickly, she responded, "Well…we haven't seen her in a while…We miss her…"

"But there is nothing to worry about…" Nozomi smiled, looking out through the window that displayed her garden. A gentle breeze floated through the opened window and ruffled the curtains.

"Why? How do you know?" Amano asked, curiously.

"…I know Hitomi is okay…I can feel it." She continued, her eyes never leaving the window. "There was something that I saw in her eyes, before she got pulled back to that dimension again. She was so determined…so full of compassion for that man, Mr. Fanel…She wanted to go back; who was I to stop her? I told her that I wanted her to be happy…and she was. She wanted to go back…

"When she left, I felt this presence inside me…My grandmother's pendant must have connected me to her this time. Hitomi may have the gift to use it, but it still connects all of us…It had almost faded away at some times, but it's still present there…I can feel her…" Nozomi put her chopsticks down just as a stronger wind came into the room, blowing the napkins and other light objects off the table.

Amano quickly stood and shut the window, leaving just enough to have ventilation. Yukari began to retrieve the items that had been misplaced by the wind, but she kept her eyes straight ahead at the window. "I can feel my daughter…She's there…alive and well…"

Yukari looked up, tears in her eyes. "Will we ever see her again?" She had stayed silent, absorbing Hitomi's mother's tale, feeling a deep pang of loss for her friend. I've known her since school started…and now…She sniffed loudly. "Will Hitomi ever come back?"

Amano came to her side quickly, rubbing her shoulders, trying to keep down his own emotions. Hitomi was very special to me…to us…Her heart led her to that place again, and she's happy…but us…what about us? I miss her already…

Almost reading his thoughts, Yukari blurted, "I miss her! I want to see her again! I want to hear her voice: listen to one of her stupid jokes, let her lecture me on how I should be more careful……" Her dark eyes met with Nozomi's. What am I saying? …Hitomi's her daughter…I doubt she wants to be reminded of this stuff… "I'm sorry…" Yukari apologized in a small voice.

Nozomi smiled lightly. "That's alright dear…I'm sure she will come back…One day…Just to see how we're all doing. I know my daughter, she always wants to have a proper goodbye…I know that she's missing us too, but we're in no position to disrupt love. I want what's best for her…and I knew that the second that pendant was given to her, that it would take her places where she would be happy…where she would find happiness…"

Amano and Yukari nodded sadly. She wiped her tears furiously, and going against all the feelings in her body, Yukari exclaimed, "If Hitomi's happy…T—Then I'm happy!" She smiled a little and tried to put as much truth as she could to her words. "Those two…wherever they are…He better take good care of her, or else!" A sad laugh came out of her mouth. "I want to see her again…"

"Don't worry, Yukari…" Amano comforted her, keeping his own feelings in check. He needed to give Yukari support during this time; she was much more fragile than he was...She neededhis words of comfort more..."She'll come back…you know that…All—All we have to do is wait…" His own voice cracked unsteadily, but he regained his composure. You're one of our best friends, Hitomi…Please, come back soon…even just for a little while…We'll wait for you…until then…

Nozomi picked up her chopsticks again, bringing her eyes to the window to watch the curtains flutter again. "Yes…don't worry, Yukari...Amano……Hitomi's going to be fine…Just fine…"

— FIN

HUZZAH!

I hope you all liked the fluffy-ness of this chapter! AND, the last line that Hitomi's mother said. "Hitomi's going to be fine…Just fine…" Sounds familiar? It should. It was the last words that Hitomi said to end the original series. I just HAD to add that in somewhere!

Well, another story has come and gone, and I'm so happy that I actually got a bandwagon of groupies! . Storm-Maker, aan, Avelyn Lauren, Macky, The Winggoddess, esterla jem, Inda, serenityrain2233, angel 2007, Shadow Fox 777, banryuu, Pure Hope, Lilly McFadden, EternalAffliction, Blitz KriegHerr, kerry, Kowa, Mysterious Angel-05, tigger 093061, reminiscemina1215 …(omg…there are so many of you!) I know that I say it every chapter, but you guys are amazing…and I'm ever thankful that you took the time to write a review to boost my spirits during the hard times and school and work and home. THANK YOU THANK YOU, for everything! You guys are a real inspiration! I hope I made you proud!

Anyway, before I get all teary eyed, about the ending…I wanted to keep it open, because, I like open endings. I hope it's satisfactory and to your liking. I had to put the fluff there about all that 'I love you' in that subtle way…because, come on…We all know that those two are going to have babies sooner or later. (lmfao). I hope I captured the emotion right…Such a tough time Hitomi's gonna go through…I hope I wrote enough about it to let you guys fully comprehend it...Haha, Van's inability to say the right thing was so funny to write...ahahaha...

Yeah, and about that pendant...basically, since it's not with Van OR Hitomi, it kinda shut off (that way, no one else can misuse it), but it still connects everyone. If you read the chapter when Hitomi gave it up, there's a line where I wrote something that said that the pendant suddenly lost its glow or whatever...

I really hope my characterization, dialogue and all that shiat was good. Just a funny note: the name 'Shina' is Japanese for 'virtue/good'…which is quite the contradiction. And Nozomi is Japanese for 'hope'…clearly noted.

So, my loving readers and reviewers, I'm glad you've stayed with me this far to catch the ending to my 4th fanfiction. I hope that it was good to read. (smile) My next story could possibly be a Samurai Champloo oneshot—if I ever get enough time to do it…Darn University! It's eating up my time like the Cookie Monster eats cookies!

Anyway, I tip my hat off to you all, as I ride into the sunset! (cheesy) Escaflowne will never die and maybe, one day, even I'll find my own Van Fanel…that way, I can write better romance material! (hahahhaha) God knows that if I find a guy like Van, I'll be getting plenty of inspiration in THAT category (lmfao!)

Well, until next time,

Keep on Truckin'
Evil Storm Sister