The Legend of Liocorna

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne only this story, which I managed to produce out of my simple little mind *g*

And we are of again for another chapter of this story. Won't say anything more, only… ENJOYYY!!!!!

Chapter 11: Talk and Fluffiness (extra for Spirit0 *wink*)

It was his entire fault. If he had just thought of her sooner it may not have happened. But his mind had been to preoccupied with the mysterious creature from which he never thought still existed in this world.

My fault. All my fault and I had vowed to protect her. All my fault

It was the only thought running right now through his mind, Van's mind, while he sat at the bed of his love as she silently slept stirring a bit from time to time. One of her hands was clasped tightly in his both, as he could not set his eyes away from her. Her arms and legs were covered in bandages and he gave himself the fault for it.

It had been a few hours ago since Van had carried the unconsciousness Hitomi back to the palace. Their friends had nearly fallen over in shock upon seeing their long lost friend in his arms and with her wounds all over. Even though Merle had cried tears of happiness and also Celena together with Millerna. Even Allen and Dryden had seemed on the brink of tears while the Crusader Crew sobbed like little kids overreacting, like always. *g*

Millerna had taken care about Hitomi's wounds immediately coming afterwards out of the room swearing that some of the not so bad wounds must have already healed since they had seemed less to her then at the beginning.

After that Van had to tell the whole story from how he met Hitomi in the woods not knowing who she was until the time he left her at the forest to join the battle with Escaflowne. He also told them about the meeting in the "dream", but not what sort of place it had been and also left out the part of Hitomi healing his wings and the night they had shared together as lovers *goes red in the face at the thought*.

When he had finally finished retelling all of this they had set together wondering what had happened to her, since she hadn't even told Van. He had gotten up and gone to the room where Hitomi lay.

He hadn't left her side since then, waiting for her to awaken and trying to make some sense out of this whole situation ……

…A barrier forming in the middle of a battlefield in Fanelia and Dragons attacking the enemy.

…Hitomi disappearing for two years then showing up suddenly and not wanting to be recognised or wanting to return to them always muttering about how she would bring them all into danger if she came near them for to long.

…Hitomi suddenly doing some sort of magic and fighting like a warrior with her two long daggers.

…Light spears destroying the enemy in Palas and a Unicorn appearing out of nowhere.

…Dryden telling them about a forgotten Clan and something about a prophecy they made.

…Hitomi showing herself in Palas although she hadn't wanted to come but suddenly changing her mind and being covered with wounds all the same…

The more Van tried to but those pieces together, the more his head started to hurt. He may have some sort of solution to most of the problems or thought he had, but they were mostly so weird he did not dare to believe them himself. Why was everything getting so complicated. To make problems worse he remembered Hitomi telling something about a new attack and Freid and a temple and all on four days. It was just what they needed * thoughts dripping with sarcasm* !!

It was already dark outside when Van was shaken out of his dazed thoughts making him oblivious to the world around him by the feeling of being watched. He lifted his gaze to be met by two emerald green eyes looking up at him with mixed emotion. He saw worry, fright, a little confusion, pain, helplessness but also a strange kind of calmness in them and deep down inside he also saw something else… pure and simple love.

He smiled warmly down at the beautiful girl, no woman before him and carefully seated himself on the bed beside her waist:

"Hey, everything okay? How do you feel after your sleep?"

Van kissed Hitomi's hand gently and she smiled a small but genuine smile back up at him.

"Better before I blacked out although some parts of my body still seem to scream in pain. But I feel better Van, my Angel."

His heart skipped a few beats like it always did when she called him like that and his grin widened.

~~~~ *Angel*~~~~

She had once told him that on her home planet, angels where people with wings bringing peace and happiness to the people, watching over them and helping them when they were in need. It had been the exact opposite of what people described other people on Gaia with wings. Here they were Draconians, demons from the old race from Atlantis who had destroyed their own homeland and only brought bad things to the people of Gaia. Cursed demons who in the most people's eyes deserved to die before they could do any harm.

When Van had revealed his wings the first time to Hitomi, she had not been afraid. She hadn't run away or looked at him terrified or disgusted, but plainly astonished and had shortly after said that she found his wings beautiful. And she had given him an own nickname especially for him…Angel. She had accepted him like every other one and had felt even more for him then he would have ever imagined. She loved him and Van loved her. For him she was like a goddess.

Right now she was slowly trying to sit up making him come out of his thoughts. He wanted to protest against her getting up since she had been wounded so badly, but before Van could say anything she shushed him by gently putting a finger on his lips, so Van kept his mouth shut.

He shut his eyes as he felt her finger travelling over his lips, his cheekbones, eyelids, pulling some strands of his messy black hair from his face in the progress. Her hand then came to a rest on his cheek. He leaned into it, putting his hand over hers while the other still held her other hand caressing it with a thumb. Van opened his eyes again to be met by Hitomi's. He stared into them drowning in their deeps as he put one hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him until the lips locked in a sweet kiss. His other hand also came to rest on her back while hers came around his neck enter winding her fingers with his hair at the nape of his neck, playing with them. Van deepened the kiss a bit then retreated again, teasing Hitomi and making her shiver in his tight embrace as a soft moan escaped her lips pressing them harder against Van's. He obeyed her soft pleading letting his instincts get the upper hand. Before he knew it, he was down on top of her pressing her into the mattress and letting his hand wander under her shirt.

But he soon stopped himself before it went to far although he wouldn't really have minded. But now was not the right time for that. They pulled apart, both breathing heavy as he rolled down from her and pulled her with him so she now had her head lying on his chest while his hand were still clasped tightly around her petit frame.

They lay for quite some time like this trying to regain their breaths as she subconsciously drew little circles on his bare chest. His shirt had come of sometime during their little quarrel without him really noticing and was now lying somewhere on the floor near the bed, forgotten.

After a few minutes had come and gone Van inhaled deeply before starting to speak:

"Hitomi? I hate to ask now, but when you came here you mumbled something about Freid and an attack and a temple. Does it mean that Freid is there next target?"

Hitomi sighed and snuggled deeper into his embrace before answering his question:

"I had a vision some time after you left. It showed Freid in the middle of a battle against those enemy troops. It was terrifying. There was blood everywhere and they killed everyone even women and children."

Hitomi shuddered and Van leaned sideways so she now had her head in the crook of his neck as she continued.

"But that was not all. Suddenly I was standing in front of the Fortuna Temple in Freid. It was burning and covered in blood. Before it started to collapse there was nothing more. I don't know why but somehow I knew that the power still left and sealed in that temple was gone, totally gone. And there stood a shadow like figure in front of it laughing and holding something bloody raised in his hand. It was a heart and… and ……"

Hitomi couldn't go on anymore as she cried silently in Van's arms. He tenderly stroked over her back with his one hand whispering soothing words into her ear. It crushed him to see her in such state. She was so strong and yet so fragile needing someone who she could depend on. It must have been hell for her those two years, having no one to turn to, to tell someone her worries and fears. Her crying stopped some time later and he dared to ask:

"And what Hitomi? What did you see? You don't have to tell me if it is that horrible, okay?"

Hitomi looked up at him:

"But… But you have to know. You have to know, because the heart he held… the heart… it was your heart because you are Draconian."

Van's eyes widened when he realised what Hitomi was trying to tell him. It had been his heart that figure had been holding in his hand. He was Draconian and as the last power of the Draconians had been sealed in the Fortuna Temple…

"Do mean to say that…"

"That this person… whoever he was… needed your blood to gain access to the last resources of the Draconian power. Your hearts blood. And I don't want to see you die. I don't want to loose a beloved again like that, because of someone's lust for power."

"Shhhhhh… everything is going to be alright. I'm not going to let that thing kill me and I'm not going to leave you alone again. But I'm also not going to let anyone harm you again. I promise I'll try my best to keep you out of harms way if I can."

She whispered a soft "Thank you" before locking her lips with his in a gentle kiss. He returned it with the same tenderness trying to take the sorrow away from her. After they parted silence filled the room for quite sometime as they just enjoyed lying in the arms of the other one. It was calming but it already seemed like the calm before the storm. A mighty storm that could blow them all away destroying the last bit defence they had.

"Hitomi, do you know when they will attack? Do we still have time to get to Freid and warn Duke Chid?"

"Well I overheard a few enemy soldiers strolling through the forest as they talked about their next attack being in Freid in four days. We have to get to Freid first thing in the morning and warn Chid to evacuate the City."

"You're right. That will be the only chance we have left and we must warn him about the attack on the Fortuna Temple. *silence* Will you be coming, Hitomi? You don't have to, if you think it is not okay or would be to dangerous…"

Hitomi silenced him with a quick kiss on the mouth. She looked into Van's eyes with such an intense gaze and yet so calm, that Van had to wonder if she had kept a part of herself hidden in side for some time revealing it only know. A calm that could not be broken and that helped her go through life while excepting the things that were to come, not matter if good or bad.

She leaned closer towards him and whispered softly into his ear:

"I'll come with you. I have seen it all in a Vision so horrible that I must not let this happen. I won't let them take you away from me or anyone else who I hold dear."

His eyes widened at what she said. She had always seemed so afraid of bringing someone into danger with her presence. Or had it not been only her presence? Was she maybe afraid of one of them finding something out? In some way it would make sense with some of his current solutions to this problem. He had to ask her but before he could do so, she buried her head once again in the crook of his neck, arms wrapped tightly around him. Her voice had become frightened and sad again.

"I am probably going to bring you all into danger, if I stay any longer with you. Maybe it is not such a good idea for me come with you, but it is the only way I see."

"Everything is going to be alright. Don't worry. *Sigh* But there is still something I have to ask you about. Something important."

"Hmmmmm…?"

"Hitomi, what do you know about the Liocorna Clan?"

Van felt Hitomi stiffen in his embrace and getting rigid. It was the only sign that she must know something if so, she didn't say.

"Why?" was the only thing she asked so quietly that Van nearly didn't hear it. He sighed again deeply before putting his thumb and index finger on Hitomi's chin to pull her face up to his so she now had to look into his eyes. Van couldn't classify the look in them. He couldn't at all.

"I am asking, because you must have seen the Unicorn at the attack if you have not run into the woods, which I doubt. And you reaction tells me that there must be something you know, something that could help us. And the enemy also seems to be after the Clan member and the Unicorn. It must be so, for they went after it. Dryden has also found a scroll telling a bit about the Liors and a prophecy. And there is something else I noticed… it where the eyes of the Unicorn. So why won't you tell me anything? Don't you trust me?"

Hitomi opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She didn't know what to say. But Van didn't want to press her. He wanted her to tell her out of her own free will so he could see that she trusted him. And it would only work if he showed her, that he trusted her.

Van's hand left her chin to trace her lips and up her cheek. His hand stopped at the headband she was still wearing. She had refused to take it of and wore it all the time. Just as his hand (on an impulse) reached out to take it of one of Hitomi's hands came up to his and stopped it. He looked more closely into her eyes again and saw them brimmed with tears and… fear?

Under stifled sobs she managed to silently get out the words she wanted to speak.

"Please not know. Not yet. It is not time for it yet. Maybe later not now. Please?"

His eyes softened instantly at seeing her tears and he murmured her name to comfort her. He wanted to say something, but was once again silenced by Hitomi with a kiss. It was more passionate this time and they both let themselves drown in it, not wanting to let the other one go. It just felt so right, bodies pressed so close together in that tight embrace, full of love and need for each other. Hitomi started to shiver again as Van's hands wandered over her body and everything else was forgotten for a while as the two lovers where embraced by the strong emotions from within making them one as the night moved on.

Chapter end

Finally mad it to write that chapter *waves victory flag in the air* My Holiday in Italy are good, even when it is so hot most of the times, but we have an ear conditioner in out bed rooms. Gotta write the next chappie and probably one for my other story. Haven't done anything with that in a long time. Sorry ^^° PLEASE REVIEW!!!! CIAO