Chapter 2: The Moon
It was a long drive from Tokyo to Shizuoka, much of which Hitomi spent sleeping; her head leaning against the passenger side window. The busy highways turned into country roads lined with rice fields, and then became the downtown streets of Hitomi's childhood. It was well past 11:00pm when the pickup truck pulled into her driveway.
"Finally!" groaned Mamoru as he leapt out of the truck's back seat.
"Hold it kiddo! Our job isn't over yet." Hitomi's father said, "We have to carry all this stuff into your sister's room."
Just then the outside house lights turned on and Hitomi's mother opened the sliding front doors and walked down the steps.
"Mom!" Hitomi rushed to give her mother a hug.
"Oh, Hitomi, sweety it is so good to see you!" She said in a soothing voice only a mother could have.
Hitomi's mother had long brown hair pulled into a braid and green eyes like her daughter's. She had a calm, wise demeanor which helped in her demanding job as a nurse. With one look, Mrs. Kanzaki could tell what was on your mind and she always knew the right thing to say to make a person feel better.
Mrs. Kanzaki turned to her husband.
"And how was the drive, Daichi?" She asked.
Mr. Kanzaki smiled and rubbed the back of his head. Hitomi's father was tall and well built with dark rimmed glasses. He had a wonderful sense of humor and never liked to yell. It had become his wife's role to do any disciplining in the house.
"Long with these two arguing half the time," He said pointing to his children, "but otherwise alright, Yuuka."
"Barf, Hitomi." Mamoru moaned, "You have the most crap out of anyone I know!"
"Quit complaining and pick up a box." Hitomi threatened.
As the family began to haul the boxes up the stairs and into the house, a black car with its headlights turned off slowly pulled to a stop a couple yards from the house. In the space between street lights where a spot of complete darkness lingered, the car's engine was turned off and the strangers inside waited.
(Later, in Hitomi's room)
Hitomi sat at her desk and looked out her open window. The only light she could see was coming from the street lights in front of her house. Giant trees in her neighbor's front yard blocked out the lights of the city below. A gentle breeze rippled the light pink curtains and thunder rumbled in the distance.
"The entire world seems to be asleep except for me." She whispered.
Yuuka knocked lightly on Hitomi's door and entered.
"I just wanted to say goodnight, Hitomi." She said.
"Oh, Goodnight mom." Hitomi replied.
Yuuka paused.
"Hitomi?"
"Yes, mom?"
"You know…I miss you so much when you go away."
"Mom?" Hitomi was a bit confused.
"I never stop thinking about you, Hitomi. But I don't worry. Because…I know that wherever you are…you are happy."
Yuuka smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.
"And you are so strong and smart. I know that the life you come to choose will be your own."
"What are you talking about, mom?" Hitomi asked, "I just went away to college. You act like I left you forever and was never coming back."
Yuuka laughed.
"Yes, I know." She said, "I just can't believe that my baby is all grown up now."
Hitomi's mother turned to leave.
"Hey, mom." Hitomi stood up from her chair.
"Hmmm?"
There was a long pause.
"I would never leave…without telling you."
Yuuka smiled and closed the door behind her.
Hitomi sat down again and sighed. She tried to act ignorant, but she knew what her mother was talking about.
'It has been five years.' She thought, 'If I haven't gone back by now I don't think I ever will.'
(Five years ago)
Hitomi struggled to keep her balance, her feet towards the ground, as she floated within a pillar of pale blue light. Slowly, her feet touched the ground and she straightened up. The light faded and the circular track behind her school came into focus. It was the middle of the day and there was a singular jogger who stopped and stared on in amazement. He was a short, balding man in green short shorts. With his eyes wide with shock he pointed at Hitomi and then up at the sky.
"Wha? Wha…wha?" He mumbled.
Hitomi dried her eyes, sniffed a few times, and started walking towards the street beyond the chain-linked fence. She had just said goodbye to a boy she promised never to forget. How could she ever forget? It had certainly taken her a while, but she had finally realized how much her friend really meant to her. Van was her first true love. He would also be her last.
She struggled to keep composer as she walked by the stammering man, both from her heartbreak and the humor she took out of the man's terrified face.
"Hi." She said.
"You…you…just came out of the…of the.."
"The sky?" Hitomi finished his sentence.
The man screamed and ran away from her yelling "HELP! HELP! A FLYING GIRL!"
Hitomi shifted the duffle bag on her shoulder and started walking again.
'Who is going to believe this?' She thought, 'Will my family think I'm nuts when I tell them where I've been? Um, yeah mom and dad, I've been on a different planet having visions and helping a country at war. Oh, but the planet is invisible from Earth and I have no evidence to support my story. Yeah, this is going to be just great.'
(Present day)
Hitomi's family did think she was a bit nuts when she showed up after being missing for three months. At first. Hitomi's mother was the first to warm up to her story and convinced Diachi and Mamoru that she must be telling the truth. The story seemed to coincide with what Yukari and Amano had told them after all. Plus the tales her mother, Hitomi's grandmother, had told did not seem as fictional as she had made them out to be. They were all just happy that she was back in one piece.
Yukari and Amano never looked at Hitomi the same way again. After their experience with the dragon and witnessing their dear friend get sucked up into space, they preferred not to talk about it. Most times they had pretended it had never happened at all. Eventually, Hitomi learned to refrain from bringing up the subject. It was either that or lose her friends forever. Yukari and Amano were currently attending a University in England together and had plans to come visit Hitomi in a couple weeks.
Hitomi couldn't wait.
(Meanwhile, on Gaea)
Van sat on the wooden railing of the balcony outside his bedroom. He leaned up against a vertical wooden beam supporting the roof above him. In his right hand he held a small necklace with a single pink pendant hanging from it. He usually wore it around his neck, but occasionally played around with it when no one was looking. It helped him relax when he was anxious or sooth him when he was lonely. Van was lonely a lot.
It's not like he was alone. Van was constantly surrounded by royal counselors, vassals, and warriors of all kinds. And of course, he had Merle. But, Merle was 18 now and becoming more self sufficient, relying less and less on Van's approval. No, Van was never alone, but he was lonely. Not many people understood what he had been through during the war. His people knew of his courage and his victory against Zaibach, but they hadn't been involved in the real fighting. They just waited for their boy king to return and to rebuild their glorious city. They didn't know what pain Van felt.
It was hard to forget. All those people he had killed. How he had almost started to enjoy the violence. If it hadn't been for Hitomi, Van would have died ten times over. Or he could have let his anger control him and fail everyone depending on him. She saved him from the darkness engulfing the land and the darkness within himself. He loved her so much. So much…that he let her go.
Van rubbed his thumb against the smooth crystal of the pendant as he looked across the red tiled roofs of Fanelia. He had grown much in the last five years, physically and mentally speaking. His shoulders had widened, his muscles grew and he had grown a bit taller, but hadn't broken six feet. Most of those under his command were taller than him. What Van lacked in height though, he made up for in skill. No one in Fanelia could match the king in swordsmanship and proficiency in a Guymelef. Not that there was any reason to use the skills in combat. Peace had reigned in the region since Hitomi had returned home. He had always been stubborn and somewhat narrow-minded about the way he saw things, but the years had mellowed him out a bit. Van had become more patient and clever with the way he dealt with obstacles now. Well, at least most of the time. One thing that had remained the same was Van's unkempt and jet black hair.
Van thought about the day he had had. He raced with Hitomi and had killed a large 12-point buck on his hunt. He smiled. It had been a nice day.
"Hitomi," He said to himself, "I hope you had a nice day too."
Van put the pendant around his neck and slid off the railing onto the balcony floor. He looked into the clear night sky up at the two moons. The breeze blew through his hair and brought the sent of the forest with it.
Seized with a burst of energy, Van took off his shirt and willed his wings out from his back. He leapt from the balcony and flapped his gorgeous white wings. Finding a strong current in the wind, Van let his wings soar, closed his eyes and enjoyed the cool night air.
Van only opened his eyes when the light from the moons was suddenly blocked out.
'There weren't any clouds in the sky a minute ago.'
Van looked up to see a large dark figure approaching him from above. No, there was more than one. About five dragon shaped machines were coming straight at Van.
"They couldn't be…" Van gasped, "Ispano Guymelefs?!"
Van didn't have much time to think about it. Suddenly, one of the dragons shot some kind of weapon at Van. It was a long spear of metal with a sharp claw like instrument at the end. Van had only just dodged it when many more shots came whizzing towards him making a sickening whistling noise as they sliced through the air.
"SHIT!" Van yelped as he spun in the air to avoid getting skewered by the terrifying spears.
He dived down at an alarming rate then continued forward just above the tree tops. The Guymelefs did not hesitate to follow. Shot after shot echoed through the night air and Van twisted and turned as the spears whistled by his head.
"Why are they attacking me?" Van cried out.
A clearing in the forest revealed a river which Van flew over and continued to follow, the mechanical dragons soaring after him.
'Whatever I do…I cannot lead them to Fanelia.'
Up ahead Van saw some rocky cliffs which had been eroded by the river. This was the beginning of a winding canyon.
'Hopefully I can loose them in the canyon.'
The chase continued into the rocky rift and it soon became difficult for the heavy machines to maneuver. Van easily flew around each corner, coming as close to the sides of the cliffs as much as possible. Two Guymelefs in the front were not as swift as Van and collided into the face of a cliff. The crunching of metal and the tremendous radiance from the explosion told Van that his plan had worked; he did not even have to turn around. The other three Melefs simply flew through the fiery wreckage.
Van gave a quick glance behind him to see that he was still being pursued. He could not see any figures riding atop the machines like he did on Escaflowne. Whoever were driving the things were concealed inside them. The dragons also did not have long necks like Escaflowne. In fact, they looked more like bats than dragons.
'These can't be Ispano Guymelefs then. They must be some kind of design I'm not familiar with.'
Van dodged another volley of spears and abandoned his canyon idea. He climbed in altitude again and headed for a patch of clouds. The enemy grew closer.
'If I can just disorient them in these clouds I can head back down towards the forest and hide.'
Suddenly, Van felt a searing pain in his right side. One of the grappling hook weapons grazed through the flesh just below Van's ribcage. Van screamed and lost his coordination for a moment, but regained composer hastily. He kept heading for the clouds. They were his only hope.
"Come on! Come on! I can make it!" Van cried.
He had only just entered the clouds when a second spear went right through his left wing. The pain was so excruciating that Van began to lose consciousness.
'Keep…it …together..'
But Van was falling faster towards the forest below.
'I…can't die…not like this..' Van thought, 'I'm not…going…without seeing Hitomi…one last time..'
With the last ounce of strength, Van flapped his injured wings a couple times and slowed down before crashing through the trees and landing with a thud on the forest floor. He could see the flying enemy pass by through the hole he had created in the roof of the forest. They hadn't seen where he had gone.
"I'm alive." Van whispered, and then everything went dark.
(Back on Earth)
Once her family had all gone to bed, Hitomi crept down the stairs to the dirt floored basement with a load of dirty laundry. Because her house was built on a hill, the basement led out to the backyard. Hitomi opened the old French doors to let in some air and got to work on her laundry. After she had put a load in the dryer, she started to throw the dirty clothes into the washer.
Hitomi glanced nervously behind her outside into the yard. The streetlights from the road cast an orange glow onto the lawn; there was no one there. Still, Hitomi couldn't shake the feeling…
Finally satisfied that no one was watching, Hitomi quickly slipped out of her light blue dress and tossed it in the washer with the rest of the dirty clothes. Uncomfortable standing there in only her undergarments, she threw on a pair of black shorts and a dark green t-shirt.
It is imaginable how startled Hitomi was when she felt something touch her left hand. She yelped and spun around. There was no one there.
"H-hello?" Hitomi said, clutching her hand and peering into the darkness.
There was no reply.
Then, something caught Hitomi's eye. There was something white on the ground at her feet. Curious, she knelt down and picked it up.
It was a feather. No, it was-
"Van's feather." Hitomi gasped.
Hitomi ran out into the backyard.
"Van?" She called out quietly, "Van, are you out there?"
No one.
'He…he must be calling me!'
Hitomi ran back into the house and up into her room. She frantically opened her desk drawers to find a black sheet of paper to write on. Turning on the desk lamp, Hitomi began to write to her family. Once it was finished, she reread it again and again. Satisfied, Hitomi threw on some sneakers and crept out of the house, leaving the note on the short dinning room table.
She wasn't exactly sure where she was going, but she knew that Van wouldn't be around here. He had never been to her house and probably had no idea where to find her. Hitomi set out to the only place she could think of where Van might be: the high school track.
As Hitomi closed the front gate behind her and started down the dark street, a black car started its engine and began to follow her.