The Legend of Liocorna
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or any of it's characters! It would be wonderful, if it was so, but it isn't. And I wouldn't be writing Fanfictions, if it belonged to me ^^°.
Since Fanfiction.net had gone haywire on this story forcing me to most times split up the chapter I have decided to upload it new once again and I really made it! I tried it with an other formation and ff.net accepted it! So I am going to write it now all in html instead of text-formate as before (since I'm going crazy with it!) And hope you're all enjoying this. I also want to apologize that I haven't updated for some time, but I was not much in the mood to write since it was still my holidays and the sun in Ferrara (Italy) was so agonizing, that I had a current mind block for this story. My mind was also occupied by many new idea I have gained in the holidays for new stories (at least three new ideas!!!) and I had to write the one shot fiction I had in mind for already some weeks (The story is called Happy Birthday Van, if anyone wants to read it). I also updated a bit on my other story, As long as I live. But now I hope you'll enjoy the reposted story here and finally get all the things that were missed in the early version )thanks to fanfiction.net -_-°) ENJOYYYYYYYYYYYYY...!!!
Chapter 1: Attack
Hitomi couldn't believe it...
It was already over 1 ½ years ago. 1 ½ years since she came back from Gaia and she felt the depression grow by every passing day.
Hitomi missed them all so much.
The princess Millerna Aston, who always knew, what she wanted.
The heavenly knight Allen Schezar, a good friend and protector.
Then there was Dryden Fassa, the busy merchant, who always seemed to be in his own little world.
Prince Chid, always trying to be as brave as his father.
She even missed Merle, the annoying cat-girl, who never left a chance out to tease her.
But most of all, Hitomi missed Van.
King Van Slanzar de Fanel, the boy with black tousled hair and reddish brown eyes, always stubborn and trying to be independent.
The boy, who had stolen her heart the first time, they had met, without even realising it herself.
It's been already so long… Van, do you still remember me? Do you miss me? Or has someone else captured your heart?
Hitomi subconsciously shuddered at that thought.
The only thing she could do to forget the pain in her heart, was running.
She had thrown herself into track-practice with all her strength, trying to at least for a moment to forget Van. But it had been no use. When she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on running, his face kept into her inner eye. She put more and more power into running, even harder than before her "disappearance".
That was also another problem for her...
The loneliness.
The first time Hitomi had returned from Gaia, she had been transported a day back, before Van had even slayed the dragon.
It was, as if fait had known about Van coming to get her and take her back to Gaia.
But after the Great War had ended and Hitomi returned a second time, she found out, that she had been gone for over nearly three months.
Some of her classmates whispered about her being kidnapped and abused. Others said, Hitomi had run away with a boyfriend and he had ditched her after a while, forcing her to return to her parents.
Hitomi tried to ignore them although it was hard.
Yukari and her mother had been the only one, who had believed her, when she told about Gaia.
But Yukari had gone to America half a year ago to be with Amano.
Hitomi's parents had divorced about half a year after her return. Although they assured her, that it had nothing to do with her disappearance, Hitomi gave herself the blame.
Hitomi now lived with her mother in a small house near the park.
She was glad that her mother treated her normal and not like her father, who had taken Hitomi several times to different doctors and even a psychiatrist.
By now, Hitomi just wished to be back on Gaia with all of her friend and her beloved. If it would ever happen, she did not know. When she tried to wish with all her heart, it never worked.
~~~~~~~~~~ The present ~~~~~~~~~
It was a chilly afternoon and Hitomi was walking back home from practice. Silent tears were streaming down her face as she remembered those mean and with pity filled comments from the other members of the team.
Hitomi also remembered Gaia with all her friends and…
Van?
Hitomi's eyes grew wide as a pearly white feather floated from the sky, landing right in front of her feet.
As she tried to pick it up, the feather vanished into thin air.
New tears started to well up in her eyes, but they had no time to make their way down her face.
Suddenly the ground started to shake with such force, that Hitomi was thrown to her knees.
As quick as it came, it went away again.
Hitomi slowly got up again. She hadn't noticed the reason of the earthquake.
In fact, nobody had the portal opening in the middle of the park and the strange people coming out of it.
Hitomi dusted herself of and started walking again. The whole time she had a strange feeling, which grew with every step she took towards home. A feeling of foreboding. Her space started to quicken and in the end she ran the rest of her way home.
As she finally got there, Hitomi noticed the front door standing wide open. It was strange and frightening. Her mother usually kept the door tight shut and Hitomi always went in through the back.
She slowly made her way through the door. What she saw, shocked her to the bones. Everything was a mess! But that was not the horrifying sight, which made her want to scream out loud.
Hitomi's mother was lying on the floor, drenched in her own blood, a sword sticking out of her chest. She was still alive, her breath shallow. She turned her gaze towards Hitomi as she kneeled beside her:
"Hitomi. I'm glad they didn't find you. You… you must go back to Gaia. You're not save here on your own. Go…go back to… to Gaia. Find the origin of our clan and stop him. Go… I don't… have…much time left."
"Mom, what are you talking about? You're gonna be okay, you'll see. But who did this and why. What does he want from us? And why back to Gaia?"
"The… the one, who was banned from the… clan. He has a…awakened again and wants to… to get your power as the last… living member. You must go now. Go… go before they… get you."
"What do you mean? Mom? Mom! Answer me! Don't leave me alone! Please!"
But it was no use. Mrs. Kanzaki had closed her eyes and her breathing had stopped. Hitomi sobbed as she held the lifeless body of her mother in her arms.
Suddenly, she heard a noise from somewhere inside the house.
Just as she was about to get up, a man with dark green Armour in the stile of one of the Samurai's and a big sword came around the corner.
It only took him a second before he spotted Hitomi:
"HEY! STOP! GET HER!"
With every strength she had got, Hitomi ran out of the house and made her way to the park. She could hear several persons chasing after her, some closing up.
Hitomi didn't dare to look back. She only ran and ran, as fast as her legs would carry her. She tried to lose her followers, but it was no use.
She suddenly felt a sharp pain at the side of her waist and soon felt warm sticky blood seep out of her wound. One man had managed to strike her with his sword.
Still Hitomi ran, she didn't know, what to do else.
But because of the lose of blood, Hitomi's strength soon failed her as she collapsed to the ground.
She saw the men approaching from all sides. The pain coming from her side was overpowering. As darkness closed around Hitomi, she made a last mental call for help:
VAN! Help me, please
The last thing she noticed was a bright flash of light and the feeling of being weightless before she went unconsciousness...
~~~~~~~~~~~ On Gaia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Merle was like always strolling through the nearly finished castle, admiring the work the people of this country had made in only one year.
Even after Van had insisted on rebuilding the city and the rest first, his people had started working on the castle half a year after the Great War.
They had put so much work and strength in it, that the castle together with the rest of the city was nearly finished and most of the towns on the outskirts of the country also.
The castle look different than before the attack. Asturia had sent constructors to help with the castle and it now had a stile between the old one and the castle of Asturia.
Although everything looked so beautiful, Merle had another problem on her hand... finding Van.
He had helped the citizens a lot, rebuilding Fanelia with his own hands. The people loved their king for that even after nearly everyone now knew his heritage. It also didn't matter to him anymore like before.
Van was somehow more opener to everyone around him, since Hitomi had been here. She had managed to do, what no one, not even Merle herself, had managed... to break down the thick wall around him, which he had build since the death of his family.
Merle was grateful for what Hitomi had done for Van, although she had left him after the end of the War.
And that was, what Merle couldn't understand. Why did Hitomi leave? Did Van mean nothing to her?
Van had once said, that he understood, because her family was still living on the mystic moon and it was her right to be with them more then with him.
Even if he really understood, he couldn't hide from Merle, that he also missed her greatly and would do anything to bring her back.
He normally tried to hide from his advisers and everyone else, to have time to think about Hitomi.
He was doing it just now again, which showed, why Merle was searching for him.
Merle finally found Van lying on the castle roof, staring at the mystic moon.
Van didn't like to accept it, but he missed Hitomi more then he would even let Merle know. It was tearing at his heart, making him want to cry out loud in frustration.
He had tried over and over again to somehow contact Hitomi, but it never worked. It was frustrating and irritating at the same time:
Hitomi, I hope you are doing well up there and enjoying your life. Maybe you have made it to do, what I can't do. Maybe you managed to go on with your life and forgot all about me. You probably have already got a dashing boyfriend with whom I could never compete.
Van let out a BBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIGGGGGG sigh and turned his head to Merle, who had been trying to sneak up upon him:
"What is it Merle? Do the advisers want something from me."
"I just wanted to see, how you are doing. You're thinking about her again, don't you?"
"I have no idea, what you're talking about Merle."
"Oh yes you do! You're thinking about Hitomi like always. Do you think, she'll ever come back?"
"I don't know. If she does, we'll probably find out soon enough."
Merle seated herself besides Van and they both watched as the day faded away to make room for the star-lit sky, with the mystic moon shining brightly.
After some time Van started to get weird feelings. He didn't know, what they were or where they came from, but they were making him feel uneasy and uncomfortable.
He though, it was probably only lack of sleep. He got up:
"I'm going to bed Merle and you should also. It was a long day again and we both have to be up again early in the morning."
"Okay. Night, Lord Van."
"Night to you too."
Just as he started to make his way back inside the castle, a wave of immense pain shot through his side. He fell to his knees by the sudden force of the pain. Merle was at his side in an instant:
"Lord Van! Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"
"I'm fine again, Merle. I had a sudden pain in my side, but now it is gone. I wonder if..."
VAN! Help me, please!
"HITOMI!?!"
As the words left his mouth, Hitomi's pendant, which he always wore around his neck gave a bright flash of light. Van could clearly see a column of light decent down into the forest.
"Merle! Tell the maids to prepare an extra room. I think Hitomi has arrived again."
With that, he flung of his shirt and spread his wings. Without any other thoughts he flew to the column of light. It was already starting to lessen as he saw a figure directly in the middle of it.
He made just in time as the light faded and the body started fall to the still far away ground. He gave a final push with his wings and caught the figure safely in his arms.
Van didn't have to look twice to see, that it was Hitomi.
She had changed. Her hair went know passed her shoulders and she had gotten more curves. In a year she would become a beautiful young woman although in Van's eyes, she already looked stunning.
Van noticed, that Hitomi had lost consciousness. He suddenly felt a warm sticky liquid coming out from her side. It was blood. Someone had wounded her side badly and if she lost to much blood, nobody could say, what would happen.
He quickly turned around and flew back, Hitomi securely in his arms.
Chapter end.
That was the first one. *sigh* Only ten more to go...