Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Escaflowne: All you need is Love, Isn't it?
Chapter 35
Third day at sea
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Just as Hitomi had predicted, a hellish storm struck the small merchant fleet. Thirty-five foot waves crashed over the deck, as the men struggled frantically to secure the sails. All but one had been tied down but in the midst of the storm, all efforts to secure the last were proving futile. Van stayed on deck to assist the seaman, despite their insistence that he go below for his own safety.
In her quarters, Hitomi sat at the edge of her bed, her hands clasped together tightly and her eyes barely open as visions of Van assisting the sailors appeared in her mind's eye. Images of him working with the seaman to gather up the last sail, a sailor being blown off the main yard and Van diving to grab hold of him before he went overboard, Van tying the last sail to the main yard. Suddenly, Merle burst into her room causing the teen to jump in fright.
"IS HE HERE! TELL ME LORD VAN IS HERE!" She yelled looking around frantically.
"Merle! No, Van is on deck helping the men secure the ship." Hitomi told her. "But don't worry, he's alright."
But before she could tell the catgirl anything more, she was off and running. Suddenly the image appeared clear as day to her; Merle rushing out on deck, the men including Van ready to head below deck, Merle running towards Van, a wave washing across the ship from the starboard side, Merle caught by the wave and washed overboard, Van desperately trying to grab her but coming up short.
"NO!!" Hitomi flew off the bed and ran after her younger friend. "Stop Merle, stop!" She screamed.
"I have to save Lord Van!" The catgirl yelled back.
Within seconds Hitomi closed the distance between them and dove, grabbing the girl by her thighs and bringing her down to the ground with a thud. "Van is alright. He's going to be all right. It's you who is in danger if you go up on deck." She explained quickly as she struggled to keep hold of the squirming catgirl.
"No! I feel it! Lord Van needs me! I have to go to him!" Merle struggled to break free.
"No, I won't let you! I won't let you throw your life away!" Hitomi fought back.
"What do you care? You want Lord Van all for yourself. You should be happy if I die." The catgirl struggled desperately to escape her captive, managing to inch her way a few feet closer to the exit but unable to get the teen off of her.
"That's not true. You're my friend. I care what happens to you." The teen tried to explain as she crawled up the younger girl trying to reach her shoulders so she could pin her down.
"Some friend you are, you can't even keep a promise more then ten days." The catgirl spat back while still trying to break free.
"I'm sorry about that. How many times do you want me to tell you I'm sorry? I didn't mean for it to happen that way, honestly." The teen gasped out as she reached her objective but the catgirl proved stronger than she thought, still managing to move both of them forward.
"LIAR! You planned it all along! You wanted to make a fool of me!" The catgirl screamed.
"No! That's not true!" Spotting a thin rope out of the corner of her eye, Hitomi grabbed the end of it and quickly tied it around her own waist while leaning her shoulder down onto Merle's back. "I didn't plan for it to happen that way, it just did." Gathering up the rest of the rope she tried tying the other end around Merle's waist but seeing or rather feeling what the teen was trying to do, the catgirl spun around and grabbed her arms to stop her from tying the two of them together.
Struggling to get the rope around her friend Hitomi pleaded. "Please Merle, let me do this, it's for your own good. You're my friend, I don't want to see you get hurt."
"LIAR!!!" Merle screamed as she slapped Hitomi across the face, leaving her three deep scratch marks across her cheek. The pain caused Hitomi to recoil as she clutched her cheek. Merle used the opportunity to kick the teen off of her as she scrambled to her feet. "Leave me alone. Leave Lord Van alone. Go back home and never come back!" She screamed through tear filled eyes as she spun around and ran for the exit to the top deck.
Shaken by her words for only a moment, Hitomi sprang to her feet and ran after her, the rope still in her hand.
On deck, Van and three other men had just gotten down off the main mast. The captain, who had tied himself to the wheel of the ship, ordered them to get below. As they slowly made there way to the passenger hatch leading to the lower desks, the hatch spring open and Merle came bolting out.
"Merle!" The king yelled in shock.
"Lord Van, I'm coming!" The catgirl cried out as she ran to the only man she ever loved.
Remembering Hitomi's vision, Van tried to rush over to Merle's aid but the other men with him refused to release him. Each had taken hold of the other for added support and safety as they slowly made their way toward the hatch. Now they were unwilling to let their king go, fearing his safety.
Just as Hitomi made her way up the stairs to the top deck, she saw it all unfold as if time had slowed down just for her. She saw Merle running toward Van. She saw Van struggling to break free of the men who held onto him for his own safety. She saw the thirty foot wave rise up high over the starboard side of the ship and come crashing down right in front of Merle, sweeping her up like a rage doll and carrying her across the ship's port side. She saw Van finally break free and rush in a futile attempt to save his childhood friend, as he reached out to grab her leg but was suddenly stopped by the side of the ship. And she heard the catgirl's screams rang in her ears for only a few seconds before being swallowed up by the sea.
"NOOOO!!!" Hitomi and Van screamed.
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AN: I know, I know. I'm evil, but I just can't let a good cliffhanger go unused. ^_^ Besides, I've been doing some serious rethinking of this story and it may actually help forward things along if I eliminate the catgirl early on. I don't know. What do you think???
As always I welcome your comments, suggestions, and criticisms.
A. Amishi