AMBER & EMERALD

Author's Note:

Welcome to the 17th chapter! This story is getting stranger with each chapter, and I'm starting to doubt that this is still the same serious-heavy-and-confusing AMBER & EMERALD. Well, I don't have a beta, so please cope with me. Or do you want to be my beta? Sign up please! TT

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne. You know that already.

CHAPTER 17: A STEPSISTER

"Ouch, you sure can hurt me a lot, Emerald," Van groaned as he rubbed the extremely sore spot on his stomach, which was caused by the GIGANTIC encyclopedia and Hitomi. His grumbles switched into a victory shout when his orders—extra-large tenderloin steak and cappuccino—came. ('What a strange combination for a strange person,' thought Hitomi.)

"Childish," Hitomi murmured as she cut her salmon steak carefully.

"Saying something, Emerald?" Van asked, grinning sadistically.

"Any people can pass you as an over-grown four years old kid, Amber."

"Ah, isn't that true, Van-chan?"

There was silence as the two teenagers stared at the speaker. After one whole minute passed, Van practically jumped out of his chair, landing on two feet with his brows knitted into a dangerous V in fury.

The speaker was a girl around thirteen with bright pink hair and cheerful large blue eyes. She was dressed casually yet in an attractive way, something that Hitomi noticed. 'If you dare to say again that you don't have any girlfriend, Amber…,' she thought, imagining the one thousand and one tortures she would give him.

Yet Van was saved from early death by the newcomer. "Hi, I'm Merle, Van's stepsister. You must be Hitomi," Merle said as she shook Hitomi's hand in a formal way. 'Merle?' Hitomi asked herself. "Hitomi, Hitomi Kanzaki," she replied, not smiling at all.

The pink-haired girl grinned at her, and then turned at the still fuming Van. "I see that you have gotten yourself a date, Van-chan," she teased.

"What do you want, Merle?" Van hissed through gritted teeth.

"Checking on my elder brother, of course," said the younger girl. "Why didn't you tell me before that you have a girlfriend, Van-chan?"

'Van-chan?' Hitomi snorted inwardly, holding herself not to laugh. They were in a luxurious restaurant, and she certainly did not want to make a fool of herself. Yet she simply could not stop from feeling…umm…disturbed by the girl's previous sentence.

"Excuse me," she started hotly. "But I'm certainly not someone who will have a boyfriend like THIS person in front of me."

Van frowned in irritation, yet then snapped, "Why do you think I want to be with a dangerous girl like her, Merle!"

"What did you say, Amber?" Hitomi said, tone as cold as ice and eyes as narrow as they could be.

"You yourself, what did you say?" Van asked back, his frown getting deeper with each word.

The World War III would have started if Merle had not laughed and said in a singsong voice, "My God, you even argued together about the same thing! How cute!"

"I'm not treating you any lunch after this, Merle," Van threatened, growling in frustration. "Just wait 'till I get you and this annoying too-dangerous-to-be-a-girl person…"

"I swear that you'll regret saying, Amber," Hitomi hissed, her hand reaching for her Beretta, which was hidden in her backpack. "I will catch you, torture you, and then I will…."

"WILL YOU STOP THIS, PLEASE?" Merle shouted in irritation, turning all the diners' attention toward them. She ignored them, simply crossing her arms on her chest and saying, "Don't you two know a word called 'joke'?" She snorted, glaring at the two older teens.

There was no reply. (And I assumed it meant "No.")

"So, are you joining us?"

Hitomi looked up from her dessert and stared blankly at Merle. "Excuse me?"

Van had gone out for some fresh air, leaving the two girls behind. The dinner had passed in 'peace', only interrupted by some hot come-backs from the two friends-but-enemies-and-enemies-but-friends and scolding from Merle. Hitomi was eating her dessert in silence when suddenly Merle spoke up.

"I mean, are you finally joining our team, Escaflowne?"

"Sure," Hitomi shrugged. "Don't ask why, though."

Merle grinned. "Van had never acted the way he did in front of you. Do you know that?"

"If you mean acting like a spoiled brat and a jerk combined together, yes."

"You talked as if he hated you."

"Is it wrong?" Hitomi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He likes you. Believe me."

"Great joke, Merle," Hitomi snorted. "So, tell me, what is this 'Escaflowne' actually?"

TO BE CONTINUED TO CHAPTER 18

Sorry guys, I know I said that this chapter would be more serious, yet somehow it turned out to be the complete opposite ;; But I am sure that the next one will be more serious. There will be some more explanations and new characters! See you at the next chapter!

R&R!

Celon Ierith