All you need is Love, Isn't it? Chapter 97, an escaflowne fanfic

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Escaflowne: All you need is Love, Isn't it?

Chapter 97 (edited version)

A half-day's ride outside of Arzas

-----

Riding along the river's path, Hitomi couldn't help but smile every time she looked over and saw the happy expression on Van's face. They had been riding for some time and his demeanor remained unchanged.

"Okay, what happened that has you so happy today?" she finally asked, tired of waiting for him to mention it on his own.

Van glanced over and smiled. "What? Can't I just be happy for happiness sake? It's a beautiful day. Unseasonably warm. And I'm riding with the most wonderful girl in all of Gaea." He reached over and took her hand. "Why shouldn't I be happy?"

Hitomi gave him a suspicious stare. "Okay, who are you and what did you do with my Van?"

The young king let out a deep belly laugh, one like Hitomi had never seen from him before. "Okay, okay… " He took a moment to compose himself. "You know me too well, Hitomi." He slowed his horse down and turned it around till he was facing his companion. "Well, it took three days but Ruhm and I managed to persuade the village elders to allow me to build a stone bridge across the river." He gestured.

"That's wonderful, Van!" Hitomi smiled.

"I dispatched a messenger to the castle. Sir Baschan should have the plans drawn up and the builders ready to begin by the time we return."

"How did you do it? When you mentioned it on the first day of the festival, they seemed dead set against it."

"Well, it took some serious persuasion, and in the end I had to offer a number of concessions." Van admitted.

"Concessions? What type of concessions?" the emerald-eyed girl asked.

"Well, for one, the wolven people will not be allowed to move to Fanelia Castle, or granted passage aboard any of our ships for at least five years."

Hitomi's expression changed from joy to shock. "These were concessions the elders wanted?"

Van nodded. "They're afraid of losing their young people, the future of their tribe. They hope that by limiting their ability to leave they'll come to appreciate their roots all the more, and think long and hard before abandoning their village."

"But you're taking away their freedom."

Van's expression turned dark. "No more than it is already. Once the bridge is built, a person will be able to travel from Arzas to Fanelia Castle in a day, a day and a half. Right now, it takes anywhere from three to five days depending on their cargo. And wolven tribe has always had the freedom to cross the Asturian border. That hasn't changed."

Hitomi looked away. "I hate to think what other concessions you agreed to."

"Those were the harshest." Van turned his horse about and began riding again. When Hitomi pulled up next to him, he added, "I hope this isn't an example of what it will be like every time I make a decision. I could do without a queen that offers uninformed opinions."

Hitomi felt her heart clench. She stared at him with watery eyes and trembling lips. "Well, maybe you won't have to worry about having a queen at all."

Seeing the pained expression upon her face, Van regretted his angry words. "Hitomi-" But before he could say anything else, she took off racing down the path.

Van stared after her for a moment, then turned aside. "Dammit!" After a few deep breaths, he looked back up to see that she showed no sign of slowing down. "Dammit…. Haaa!" He snapped the reins and gave the beast a firm kick, sending it into a gallop.

'Why did I come? I should have stayed home,' Hitomi cried. Her tears blurred her vision, causing her to slow down a bit, but when she heard Van approaching her sadness turned to anger and she bolted down the path as fast as she could go.

Van's frustration grew when he realized he was not getting any closer. "Damn, she's good," he said through clinched teeth.

They rode nearly two kilometers near the shoreline, weaving between bushes and trees.

"Hitomi!" Van cried out. "Hitomi!"

But she didn't slow down. Rather, she pushed her horse harder still. By now the distance was beginning to take its toll on the smaller animal and try as she might, Hitomi couldn't get anything more from the beast. Gradually, Van began to draw near.

"Hitomi! Please!"

Still, she refused to stop. Seeing no alternative, Van rode up next to her, reached out, and grabbed the reins from her, gradually slowing her horse down. To his surprise, the moment the creature stopped, Hitomi jumped off and ran into the forest. "Hitomi! Wait!"

But she didn't stop; instead she wove her way through the thick underbrush.

Van jumped down from his steed and quickly secured both horses to a tree before running after her.

Running through the dense forest was torture on Hitomi's legs as well as her clothes. The wool material of her Spanish riding outfit snagged and caught on every branch, bush, and vine she brushed against; and while she was a killer on a flat track, the uneven ground slowed her down considerably. She had rolled her ankle twice already but continued to run, despite the pain. But this was Van's environment, and she could hear him drawing closer each passing moment.

'No! I won't let him catch me. I won't.' She continued to dart through the woods, desperately trying to get away from her pursuer. Seeing a clearing up ahead, she headed straight for it. 'If I can just reach it, then there's no way he'll catch me.'

From behind, she heard Van yell, "Hitomi! Wait! It's dangerous!" but she didn't stop. 'Almost there.' The next words she heard him yell caught her attention though. "Hitomi! It's a cliff!"

She tried to stop, but she had already reached the clearing and the forest went right up to the edge. It was not a sheer cliff, but a forty-five degree slope that went about sixty meters. Her forward moment carried her over the edge and she tumbled down, head over heels.

Van heard Hitomi scream as she vanished from sight but moments later, the screams stopped. "HITOMI!" He ran as fast as he could to the edge of the cliff and jumped; his wings bursting out from his back, sending the tattered remains of his shirt in every direction. Scanning the ground below he quickly spotted Hitomi rolling down the hillside. He flew down to her, reaching her as she came to a stop where the ground leveled out and the forest started again.

Landing next to her, he called out, "Hitomi… Hitomi… can you hear me?" He placed his cold, trembling hand upon her neck but couldn't distinguish a pulse, so he pressed his ear to her chest and listened. "Thank the gods." He lowered his head in silent prayer, regaining his composure and quickly going over in his head what he needed to do next.

Van called out to her again. "Hitomi!" She still did not respond. He snapped his fingers by her ears and though she did not awaken, he noticed subtle eye movements under her closed lids. "Okay." He carefully inspected her head for any bumps or cuts. There were none and the young king breathed a sigh of relief. Next he checked her neck and spine, gently rolling the young teen on her side so he could feel down her back. Everything felt in place, no bulges or unexpected twists. "So far, so good."

Taking a moment to decide what to check next, he noticed that her right shoulder looked out of place. Taking great care, he ran his hands over it. "Oh no," he whispered. "What have I done? What have I done?"

(To Be Continue)

AN: Okay, as promised, here is the edited version of this chapter. While my own editing skills seem to have improved slightly, seeing the corrections my beta made, shows me just how much I need her. Thank you so much, Janice.

Any questions or insights you'd like to offer concerning this fic can be posted on the forum I've created at under anime Escaflowne. Please, check it out.

A. Amishi