Angel's Flight

Chapter 14 – Black Destiny

AHHH! I'm so sorry for not updating, my internet connection has been severed all of summer and I'm very… deprived. Plus, AP classes are killing me… It's the slowest way of suicide ever… it's like suddenly they snatch away not only your social life… but your sleeping life… and fill yours days with nothing but homework… So terribly sorry for not being to update this any sooner… But it's here now! WHEEE

Tsubasa: AHHH! SORRY ONCE AGAIN!

Van: …..

"Hikari!" Hitomi shouted, dashing to her daughter, only to have a dagger pointed at her as well. She stopped in her steps, as tears of frustration and confusion threatened to overflow her emerald eyes. She turned to glare daggers at Cladera, her green eyes burning with hatred mingled with the deep anger.

"What did you do to her! Let her go!" Hitomi shouted as she clenched her hands into fists, all fear evaporated as anger fumed within her like a well-fed fire.

"Calm down, my seer… she is working for me… for now." She snickered. "Doesn't she just make the cutest villain ever?" Cladera taunted as she tossed back her ebony hair.

"If I go with you… you will release her from your grasp and leave everyone unharmed…" Hitomi said, making a demand out of it rather than a question.

"You're in no position to bargain… seer… but very well, since I'm feeling generous today…" The sorceress smoothly replied tracing her long fingers down her cheeks as she gave a smirk.

Hitomi took a step forward her eyes burning with determination and her maternal instincts of keeping her daughter safe. Van's eyes widened in fear as her called out to Hitomi, the fear in his voice was easy to read.

"Hitomi!" He shouted in desperation as he struggled with himself, whether he should run after Hitomi or Hikari. He turned to Hikari, his amber eyes darting from his child to his loved one, his eyes holding a newfound fear. "Hikari… snap out of it… why are you doing this?"

Hikari only turned her equally amber eyes to blankly stare at the figure that was her father, she adverted her eyes to the floor as she replied emotionlessly.

"Because my mistress wills it so…" Van gritted his teeth and tore his gaze away from his daughter turning to glance at Hitomi again, who looked at him solemnly in the eye before a soft smile graced her soft lips. Hitomi stepped up to Van and placing her fingers gently on his lips she let out a whisper so soft any other person would've thought of it as a sigh. "I love you…"

"Don't worry… I'll be fine… look after Hikari okay… I'll be back soon" She murmured softly under her breath, planting a final kiss upon Van's check before drawing back and walked toward the sorceress, keeping her head up high. Perhaps Van's eyes were fooling him from the tears that bordered on his eyes, but he could've sworn he saw a deep black mist swirl around his wife. He looked at her in desperation before glancing back at Hikari whose usually bright, vibrant eyes were as dull as ever, the clouds of darkness looming in her eyes. She stared straight at no one in particular as if her mind was completely somewhere else; however she held her daggers firmly in her hand giving Van no chance to get anywhere.

Hitomi neared the black sorceress with an unusual calm about her; the dimly lit room gave Hitomi an almost ghostly yet beautiful complexion as she drew closer. Van clenched his teeth as he dugs his nails into his palms.

Pale, ashen hands laid themselves on Hitomi's cheek. Hitomi shivered slightly from the chill she felt within them as she closed her eyes and tried to summon all her power as to not let her tears seep out onto her cheeks.

I have to be brave…

Hitomi closed her eyes, not wanting to meet the eyes of her lover or the eyes of the sorceress, feeling that the deep-set crimson orbs would steal her soul away, and leaving her empty. Cladera smirked at her won prize, trailing her finger down Hitomi's arm, a line of pink formed from her nails, smiling as Hitomi winced in pain. The sorceress turned her luminous eyes towards Van, her features suddenly seemed healthier as if Hitomi's near presence already rejuvenated her tired appearance though the pallor still shone through her skin.

"My Majesty… it has been a pleasure to negotiate with you." She said, her words slipping like silk, and her melodiously devious voice echoed across the chamber. Her red eyes searched Van's pools of auburn before smiling as Van clenched his teeth in unspoken hatred.

"That's right, hate me Van Fanel…" Cladera murmured dangerously before clasping an arm around Hitomi's waist causing her to gasp in surprise.

'I believe we have stayed too long, I think I will take my leave now." The sorceress allotted a smile to flash across her face as she gave a deep bow, her black hair spilled over her shoulder like a curtain. Her grip on Hitomi had not loosened forcing Hitomi to come forward to an awkward bow as well.

"No!" Van called out, taking a step forward toward his lover only to feel the taste of steel in his flesh as he gasped, his eyes widening. He slowly turned his eyes to Hikari before looking to his waist where the dagger had penetrated, the tip of it danced with his blood. He heard Hitomi scream his name and a peal of laughter as her whirled about to look for the sorceress only to find that she had disappeared.

"HITOMI!" He called despairingly, ignoring the red rivulets that dripped onto the marble dance floor. When he did not hear her voice call his name back in return, he felt the stinging of tears, the light making the tears glimmer.

"Father…?" He heard a faint voice, looking down he saw his own eyes look up at him as Hikari swayed on her feet as if she had not walked in a long time. Fear was etched deeply within her as she dropped her daggers and slowly raised a hand to her father's wound. Daggers clanged on the marble floor, producing a harsh sound as everyone within in the ballroom had their eyes on the king. Van suddenly felt as if everything had crashed in ramparts around him, his eyes lacking the twinkle that they held only a few hours ago when he had taken Hitomi as his wife.

"Hikari…" Scooping up his daughter in his strong arms, he felt the tremble of her body, ignoring the pang of pain from his hip where the dagger had struck him. Heedless of the crowd that murmured before him, he swept out of the ballroom.

"We're terribly sorry for tonight's events…" The courtier shouted over the murmuring crowd as they tried to usher the guests out the door, since it seemed that the festivities were over. Being that the new bride was missing in action, the flower girl had been possessed, and the new husband had been wounded and about to snap anyone's head off. Millerna whisper to Merle concerned and on the verge of breaking into tears, while Allen leaned against the wall staring at were Cladera had been standing.

"You know all too well what to do." He murmured, pushing his bangs from his face.

"Hitomi…" Van whispered frantically as he sat on his bed, his hands clasped together. Beads of sweat danced upon his forehead in the light of the fire. He turned his gaze to Hikari who had cried herself to sleep after trying to apologize to Van a thousand times for wounding him, not knowing what had gone on in her mind. Then before wailing loudly for her mother, Van did not have the strength to tell his daughter that her mother had been snatched away while he stood idly by. He had refused all treatment to his wound and locked the doors to his bedroom and would've been pacing the room, had it not been for his leg.

"Hitomi…"

Again, I'm so terribly, terribly sorry for this late update… it's practically been a year… I give permission to fling your potatoes and tomatoes, I'm so sorry. Well, I'll try to update when I can, it's my senior year so who knows what craziness will ensue in my classes. But I'll try my best and thanks for everyone's support even though I've been unfaithful to this fanfic, I'M SORRY!

Disclaimer: I, Lavy (LavenderSakura) in no way own Escaflowne