I DO NOT OWN ESCAFLOWNE

Chapter One: The News

Italic someone's thought

"Quotes" someone's words

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Hitomi looked around. What do I have here? She looked to the sky. What could I have there? Seven years have past since she arrived back here, to the Mystic Moon.

She closed her eyes as she evaluated her life.

I am a twenty-one year old waitress at a local diner. I have long since moved away from my parent's hometown. All I want is to get back to Van. In my spare time, I research the myths of Atlantis and try to find any clues home. What a stupid, cheesy, blind date thing to sa… Hmmm, home.

Hitomi smiled; she had started to call Gaea home with out even noticing.

She sighed as she left the living room window to her bedroom. When she entered the room she glanced at the clock. 12:40 am.

Van is late!

It wasn't like him to be late to their meetings. They met almost every day for around half an hour.

Oh no! What is this was the day that he wasn't going to come!

Taking a breath to calm herself, Hitomi started to pace the room

No… No Van always told her when he couldn't come. Always. She would just have to wait… I hated patience, I'm getting extremely good at it.

The clock ticked on. Worry. Hitomi just couldn't help but start to worry.

Close to 1:40 am Van finally appeared. Hitomi opened her mouth to bomb bard him with questions when he fell back in to an invisible chair and plopped his elbows to his knees and let his head fall into his awaiting hands. He looked like a defeated man.

"Van! What's wrong!"

Hitomi let out a worried whimper as she rushed over to him. Even thought she couldn't touch him she still felt like she should be close to him.

"Hitomi," Van looked up at her, shocking her by the tears in his eyes. "I have been trying so hard to stop it but I can't do it!"

Hitomi was sacred out of her wits! Van, King Van, Mr. Oh-So-High-On-His-Escaflowne, was crying!

"I'm so sorry Hitomi, I tried, please forgive me, please!"

"Van! Please clam down! What's wrong? What do you want me to forgive?"

Her words seen to hit Van like a rock. Maybe it was the fear in her voice, but he defiantly calmed down.

He looked in her eyes for what felt like an eternity. His moth opened but no words formed. He took a deep breath.

"I don't want to say it Hitomi but…" He took a pause of ungodly amount of time. "In my country the King must wed before his twenty second birthday."

"Van, I don't like where this is going. Van…" Hitomi's mouth went dry. "Van, twenty one right."

"Yes. Yes, I am twenty-one. In seven days I will be twenty-two. The council members have taken things into their own hands…" Vans voice cracked and his breath came short. "Hitomi, they have chosen me a bride. I am to wed her this upcoming Monday."

Eyes wide, Hitomi dropped silently to her knees.

"But that's… that's in five days."

Van nodded, his head sinking back to his hands.

"But… I love you."

She felt so stupid saying only that, as if it should solve all the problems. Tears weld up in her eyes. What could she do. She wanted to reach out and hold Van and be held in return, but that was impossible. Fate would not allow physical contact, only a mental link.

"I know Hitomi, I know. We have five days, there might be something… anything I can do."

Hitomi looked at him, he was starting to fade back to his world.

"Goodbye my love, till tomorrow." Van's voice faded with his image.

Hitomi crumpled on her bed in tears.

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What do ya think? There will be four chapters in all. Three chapters of the story and a epilogue. This is what staying up till five in the morning can do to you. Beware the AM hours! TTFN Cnm