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The Vision of Escaflowne
'Her Majesty, Gaea'
Chapter 1: The Eclipse
There was something so nostalgic about it… staring at the sea.
The waves would crash together desperately as the ocean thrust them together, only to rip them apart and recede to the open waters. Waves met, and people met, and as quickly as they're brought together, they are taken apart. Yes… Nostalgic indeed.
Hitomi Kanzaki watched as the water broke and rippled with the tide. It was something that she found herself doing each morning when she woke since she had returned from her adventures on the distant planet Gaea. The Planet doomed to be lost in Earth's shadows and hidden from the knowledge of it's people, save for those who were taken into Gaea's existence. There was something about the water that relaxed her mind and brought peace to her. It was alluring and captivating.
Captivating… like the young Fanelian King, Van Fanel.
She found solace in the habitual movement of the waters each day. The waters would break and sway, swing and glide… almost like that of the sword Van often practiced with back on Gaea. It broke her heart every time.
'Van… I'm doing fine..'
Hitomi had said those words so often in her mind when Van would reach out to her in her thoughts that she almost started believing it herself. When they first had separated, it hadn't exactly been a lie. She left Fanelia with the knowledge that no matter the distance between them, they would always be friends. And they would never be alone.
Except now she realized that Van was so much more to her than a friend, and she had left without ever knowing if she would ever be to him. Maybe the embrace he held her in before her departure had become such a distant memory that she forgot what she thought he felt for her.
Sighing gently, her eyes lifted up to the sky and watched the splash of colors as the sun rose from the horizon. The light reflected off the water in warm hues, and Hitomi bathed in the light. However the glow did nothing to warm her saddened heart. Nothing did in moments like these. Of course not all of her thoughts of Van were related with sadness. Many thoughts were accompanied with a fond smile and warmth that spread through her entire being. Today, however, was not one of those days.
She felt a prickle behind her eyes, and rested her arms on the guard rail. She had understood the reasons why Van offered to send her back to the earth. They were both barely 16.. And she still had a family on earth. A life on earth. When she said she wanted to see the new Fanelia with him, she had meant it.. But he had undoubtedly caught the hesitation in her eyes and voice when she said, 'Or can I..?', and offered her a return home.
She knew that when she parted with him, she had never intended on leaving him for good. She had always believed that although they would part, they would see each other again soon. She had assumed that Van had felt the same way. She knew that she would go back to her life on Earth, and wake up every morning with him in her thoughts. She would live the rest of her teenage years with her family and friends, and when she was ready, she would come back to Gaea. She has realized her love for him in those moments, and promised herself on that day that she would wait every day for him to return to her.
Except that 3 years had passed… and Van Fanel had not shown.
2 months had passed, and Van Fanel had made no attempt to reach her thoughts.
And that these past few torturous weeks had been the loneliest weeks in her life.
Hitomi gasped in surprise as she felt a warm tear glide of the side of her face and onto her hand. Slowly, she brought it up to her face and watched as the same tear danced down her hand until it finally vanished. She hastily brought her hand up and scrubbed at her eyes anxiously.
"Do you see what you have done to me, Van..?" Hitomi murmured. She reached down, and picked up a dark black stone. She studied it for a moment before finally throwing it into the sea. The black stone broke the water just as the waves met, disrupting the natural flow of the water. Hitomi sighed.
"Hitomii!"
Yukari's cheerful voice filled the air, startling Hitomi from her thoughts, and she turned to see her longtime friends descending the stone steps of their College. She felt a grin spread across her face at Yukari and Amano's familiar faces, and she quickly grabbed Yukari's hands within her own.
"Yukari!"
"Hitomi, I'm surprised to see you lingering around the likes of here so early in the morning! And on a Sunday no less!" She sent Hitomi a excited glance. "Change your mind about helping me and Amano with the Festival?"
Hitomi shook her head, and gestured down to the slightly unattractive attire that was her jogging suit. "Not likely, I just thought that I'd go for a morning jog. Just stopped to watch the sunrise." She looked over her shoulder at the light, before turning back to face them. "What about you two?"
Yukari looked excitedly over her boyfriend of 3 years. "Amano and I are going to help the college prepare for the festival, today! It's open to the public at 10, so we have tons to do!" She promptly released Hitomi's hands in favor for Amano's. She frowned at her friend. "Have you forgotten already, Hitomi? You are coming, right?"
Hitomi smiled dryly, as she remembered she had promised her brother that she would bring him with her for the festivities. "Unfortunately, Akio hasn't let me forget. So I think I will be going." She answered.
Yukari could have been a great fortune teller, Hitomi realized as Yukari's grin faded from her face. She was strangely perceptive of the people that surrounded her, which was Ironic. Hitomi was always considered the fortune teller, yet when it came to the feelings of the people close to her, she could be denser than a block of wood. Maybe it was the despair in Hitomi's voice, or the tired look in her eyes. Whatever it was, Yukari took notice to it, and her face was taught in all seriousness. She reached out again, and held her green eyed friend's hands.
"Hitomi… what's wrong..?" She asked , searching her companions eyes expectantly.
"Nothing.." Hitomi began, but was silenced by another firm tug from Yukari's hand.
"Don't lie to me, either!" She demanded, firmly. "I can see it! You're upset about something! It's the same look in your eyes that you get whenever I see you here! Please, I'm your friend, tell me what's wrong!"
Hitomi's eyes darted over to where Amano stood, her eyes pleading for him to save her from his girlfriend, and then settled back to Yukari. "Yukari-chan… I'm fine, really…" She gasped silently as she heard her own words flash in her head from long ago.
'Van… I'm doing fine..."
"Hitomi!"
Whatever Yukari was planning on saying at that moment was interrupted when Amano's hand reached out and grabbed Yukari's hand. "Yukari-chan, I'm sure Hitomi's fine." He said softly, bringing a hand to rest at the small of his girlfriend's back. When she sent him an accusing glare, he continued. "She's tired from finals, I'm sure. We all are, which is why we're all looking forward to this festival!"
Yukari's gaze began to soften, and she nodded her head in assent. "This has been a bad week, ne?" She murmured. Hitomi felt a rush of relief at Yukari's relentment. She knew that she wouldn't be able to avoid her for long, but she was grateful for Amano's efforts. Before Yukari could question her further, another student called out for her from the fountain atop the steps.
Yukari looked over at Hitomi one last time. "We'll talk later, ok?" She said, adding a meaningful gaze to her words. She turned and gave Amano a quick peck on the cheek. "Are you coming?"
Amano smiled at her, and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I'll meet you there in a second. I think I want to watch the sunrise for just a moment longer." Yukari nodded, and kissed him quickly again, before running up the steps to her waiting friend.
Hitomi looked quizzically to Amano as he walked up to the space next to her. He spared her no glance nor words, only gripped the rail and watched the ocean ahead of him. Hitomi smiled slightly, and did the same. They both said nothing, but listened to the gentle crash of the waves against the rocks. It was a strangely comfortable silence, Hitomi realized. And she found it wasn't long before she forgot he was there at all.
"..You miss him, don't you..?"
Hitomi started, and quickly turned to face Amano. Whatever she had imagined he would say to her, this certainly was not it. At Hitomi's startled gaze, Amano's sad eyes looked back to the ocean.
"the boy… the one I saw you with when you disappeared." He said quietly. Hitomi found herself rendered speechless as she realized what he was saying. When she has returned from Gaea those 3 years ago, her mother and father had quickly demanded to know where she had been and what happened to her. When relaying the entire story of her absence to her family members, she had not known what to expect. Yukari had wanted to know as well. She had always assumed that neither would recall the events which caused her to go missing in the first place. After her mother and father quickly dismissed her story as fictional and part of elaborate cover up for a romantic plot to run away with someone, she promised herself never to speak of the events on Gaea with another person. Ever.
"Amano… how..?"
Amano turned to face her, and smiled at her look of disbelief. A small chuckle escaped his lips, "Yukari doesn't remember much about that day. According to her, what she saw was lightning hitting the ground and in the next instant you were gone." His eyes looked troubled once again, and he looked out to the vast expanse before him. "But, I remember. How could I forget..? You disappeared into the arms of a man on a dragon.. Without so much as a glance back."
Hitomi suddenly felt his anguish, and nodded as she realized that the events did not go unnoticed by all. "When.. Yukari and my parents didn't believe me.. I assumed that you wouldn't either." she looked toward the ground, and sighed. "I'm sorry I worried you, Amano."
Amano shook his head with a smile. "I was worried, Hitomi, when I saw you drifting off like that. I was worried for a good while. But later, I found that the more I thought of it the more I realized that you were happy to see him. He had such a kind expression when he saw you… And I knew that wherever you were, you would be safe with him." He paused for a second before adding as an afterthought, "Where did you go, Hitomi?"
Hitomi closed her eyes, and turned to lean her back against the guardrail. "Even with everything that you saw, Amano… You'd never believe it…"
Amano laughed. "Maybe your right…"
Hitomi face fell slightly, and she sighed. "But, you're right, Amano. He was a kind person…" Hitomi's voice wavered slightly, and opened her eyes as she felt herself being drawn to a warm body. More accurately, Amano's.
"Amano..?" Hitomi murmured.
Amano's arms were draped loosely around Hitomi's shoulder's, and he sighed. "I love you, Hitomi. Which is why I can't stand to see you suffer alone… and Yukari feels the same as well." Hitomi felt a warmth spread through her chest at Amano's kind hearted words. If Hitomi had been the same girl she was 3 years ago… this moment would have left her speechless. It was no secret that Hitomi had once been in love with him when she was a Sophomore in High School. But Hitomi had finally realized upon her return to earth that the love she had for him and him for her was no more than a sibling affection.
"I'm sure that he's with you, Hitomi. And I'm sure that one day you two will see each other again. But until then, Yukari and me… we're here for you." They separated and Hitomi smiled at him warmly. Amano returned the gesture, but Hitomi had the feeling that he was still not reassured by their conversation. "Well, Hitomi. I better catch up with Yukari before she scolds me for not helping."
Hitomi nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah.. I should be heading home. I still have some stuff I need to do before I can take Akio with me anywhere today." Amano smiled, and stepped off toward the steps.
"Alright, Kanzaki! We'll see you later! Don't be late!" He shouted, and with that he began to run toward the school. Hitomi watched him go until he was no longer in sight.
Amano's words had touched her greatly, and had succeeded in cheering her up to some extent. However, her mind wouldn't be free of Van today. Hitomi let out a deep shuddering sigh, and turned back to face the ocean. She watched as some birds took flight from the water, and disappearing into the sunrise. 'When had I turned into such a liar,' She thought quietly. She closed her eyes and relished in the feel of the cool breeze that blew through her hair.
"Van… I want to see you.."
00
Merle was very blessed to have the feline traits of a cat flowing through her blood. She smiled mischievously as she eyed her prey quietly. The pads at the bottom of her feet made not so much as a squeak as she slowly crept forward atop the castle roof. The object of her hunt shifted slightly, and turned it's head to the side.
Merle was not sure why he was here… but she was going to take care of it.
With an unearthly battle cry that sounded very much like 'Van-sama!', Merle leapt forward onto her unsuspecting prey. Said prey jumped in shock his hand inches away from his sword, only be pounced by the pink haired cat-girl. With an unmanly cry and an ungraceful fall, the two tumbled down to the edge of the roof.
Merle burst into a fit of giggles.
Van, however, looked nonplussed. "Merle!" He shouted, casting a weary glance over his shoulder. Upon seeing the drop from the roof of the castle to the ground, which was inches away from where they lay, he looked back over at her. "It's too dangerous up here to be doing that…!"
Merle grinned impishly, sticking her tongue out at him. "I wasn't worried, Van-sama! I know you have wings, so you wouldn't get hurt!" She said simply, and stood up on the roof tiles of the palace. Van stood up with her, carefully, and began to walk up.
"I wasn't worried about me. Or did you forget that you don't have wings?"
Merle had a quick answer to this concern as well. "A Cat always lands on her feet!"
Van rolled his eye, but couldn't hide the smile on his face. "I'm glad to see you plan was thought out so rationally," He answered dryly. Merle simply clung to his arm, and sat back down on the tiles with him. He allowed her to for a second, before turning to her again. "Now, was the purpose of your visit simply to scare me to death or did you have some other motive for being here?"
Merle laughed, and pointed downward to where they could see the ports a distance away. They could see a great steel leviship settled in the docks. "Your pompous advisors tell me that Allen is here to meet with you about your excursion to Asturia." Van chuckled, and put his hands in his lap. Merle continued, "But I don't think he'll mind waiting a little longer!" She looked up at her 'brother' and noticed a far off look in his eyes. His wine colored orbs were dark with emotion. She followed his gaze, and saw the object of his interest. The mystic moon.
"Van-sama..? Any luck today..?"
Van sighed deeply, before looking down to his lap. He didn't need Merle to elaborate any further. He knew exactly what she was talking about. "No… I still can't reach her…" he said. It started a couple of months ago… he had reached out to Hitomi, like he normally did for years, and found nothing. He couldn't feel her presence anywhere.
Merle looked away from him, sadly. She knew that although he kept a calm look on his face, he was anything but calm. It was frightening him to think of the reasons why he couldn't reach her. "I'm sure she's safe, Van-sama. She's probably just as worried about you right now…"
Van reached up to the pendant that hung around his neck, and watched it. It hadn't so much as sparkled for two months. "I just wish I knew if she was ok… and if.. she's happy…"
Merle stood up suddenly with a firm look on her face. She knew where this train of thoughts was going and she was going to put a stop to it before it went any further. "Stop it, Van-sama!" She shouted, and he looked up at her with obvious surprise. "I know exactly what your thinking, and I wont let you do it!! Hitomi will never forget you! And I know in her heart, she will never care about someone as much as she does you! So stop it! She would hate to see you this way! And she would hate you for even thinking it of her!"
Van was quiet as he registered Merle's words. Almost instantly, he felt the guilt rise into his body and he felt slightly sick with himself. He pushed himself back up to a standing position, and smiled forlornly. "You're right, Merle…" He said softly, and patted her head kindly. Merle looked at him questioningly, before recognizing that the mood had passed. Van reached down and adjusted the sword on his belt, before sparing the mystic moon another glance. "I think I'm just being paranoid. I'm sure that she's ok…"
Merle nodded in agreement, and grabbed his hand. "Before you know it, you have her in your thoughts, and everything will be fine! Just believe in her!"
Van nodded, and started toward the window leading to his quarters. "I best meet with Allen before he lectures me again on being punctual. I'll see you later, Merle." Merle waved at him cheerfully until his body disappeared beneath the drapes.
She groaned out loud before leaning back on the roof. She placed her arms under her head like a makeshift pillow before glaring at the mystic moon. "You know, Hitomi, for your sake you better have a 2 month old flu or something…" She said out loud. "Because if I find out Van's worrying is for reason, I'll find a way back to the mystic moon myself and I'll tear you to shreds!!"
00
"Alright, Alright, Already Akio! If you pull any harder, my arm is going to fall off!"
Akio, Hitomi's 11 year old brother swiftly turned around before sticking his tongue out at his older sister. "Hey, baka, don't forget it was you who wanted to trade me a day of chores for a trip to the festival! You should be so lucky I don't make you my slave for the day!"
Hitomi glared at him, before giving in and allowing him to tug her to the Cotton Candy stand. She wasn't sure why the idea of taking her younger brother for a trip to the festival in exchange for a day of chore was so appealing a few weeks ago, but right now the idea seemed positively absurd. Sighing dejectedly, Hitomi allowed herself to be drug across the fairgrounds.
She was faintly aware of her brother's excited chatter when he had come across a friend who was also accompanying a sibling, and took the moment for a time out. She wanted to meet with Yukari and Amano, but her brother seemed to make it impossible. Hitomi was a little upset about it, because she had been counting on the two of them to help her get through the trip.
"Hey, Baka!" Hitomi bristled at her brother's voice, "are you going to buy me some cotton candy or day dream all day?" Hitomi glared at Akio's smirking face before handing the cashier 300 yen. She began walking with him again, before he felt him tug at her hand. "I wanna go on that ferris wheel next! Hurry up, or the line will get too long!"
"Hai, Hai." Was all Hitomi said as she followed him to the object of his interest. She suddenly stopped as she felt an odd fluttering in her chest. 'What...?' she thought as she brought her hand up to her chest. She was faintly aware of the shaking in her hands. 'What's this feeling...?'
Akio stopped, and turned to find his sister frozen in place. He rolled his eyes, and stomped over to his sister. "Geez, Hitomi.. now's not the time to be playing your little games!" He grumbled. He reached out to grab her hand again, and was stunned to find it ice cold. He looked up at her face, and noticed the obvious worry in her eyes. "Hitomi..?"
Suddenly, as if a gun were fired, Hitomi's head shot up. She looked back to her brother with a far off look. "Did you say something..?" She asked in a hushed voice. Akio groaned, and shook his head in disapproval.
"Mou, Hitomi, you airhead." He said exasperatedly, and turned on his heel. Before his foot could hit the ground, he stopped as he noticed a dark shadow fall over the ground. He turned to his sister again. "What is that..?" He wondered.
Hitomi heard various other people around her murmuring their amazement, and she turned to see what the cause of the commotion was. She was surprised to find a dark shadow beginning to overlap the sun. "An Eclipse..?" She mused. She shook her head as to rid herself of that thought as she noticed the shadow was spreading across the sun faster than an eclipse normally would. She suddenly felt a wave of nausea hit her. "No... It's not an eclipse... it's a bad omen..."
The fairgrounds fell dark and the sun turned black. Almost instantly, a crash was heard overhead, followed by a sheet of rain. The people all cried out in confusion, and some scrambled to find cover from the sudden rain. Hitomi, however, found herself grounded. 'What on Earth is going on...?'
"Hitomi, let's get outta the rain!" Akio shouted, and he began to pull on his sister's hand again. Before he could move her too far, Hitomi was overwhelmed with fear as she felt an icy feeling in her chest again. The breath was knocked out of her as she was blinded with a sudden burst of images in her mind, and she fell to her knees. Akio was instantly at his sister's side.
"Hitomi! Hitomi! What's wrong?!" He asked, shaking his sister's shoulders urgently. He looked back up to the sky to where the sun once shone. "What's going on...?" He wondered aloud, before giving his sister another shake.
"Somethings... Somethings coming.." Hitomi rasped out. Her eyes were wide with fear as she tried to register the images that were flashing through her thoughts. So much pain... and anger. People were hurting.. and dieing. She brought a shaky hand back over her mouth as she felt the nausea hit her again. She squeezed her eyes shut in a futile attempt to block the images. She jumped to her feet, and opened her watery eyes. Reaching over, she grasped Akio's hand roughly. "I need to get you home, now!" She shouted.
She didn't take the time to answer Akio's questioning and concerned eyes, and she tried to tug his from the spot where he stood.
"Hitomi!"
Hitomi quickly turned around to see Yukari and Amano running toward her. They stopped, and Yukari looked up at her from under the newspaper she held over he head. Amano watched her strange expression with concern. "Hitomi, what's wrong? We saw you fall!" he said, firmly. His voice was stern and left Hitomi no room for excuse.
"Yukari, Amano! We have to get out of here... Somethings coming! Something dangerous." She repeated, ignoring the rain as it pelted her and she grabbed Yukari's hand as well. "We have to go, now!"
"Hitomi..?" Yukari asked, "What's wrong-"
Yukari was silent as she was interrupted by a sudden flash of lightening and piercing scream that echoed around the grounds. Amano quickly stepped in front of the group, and the four of them turned to the direction of the scream. Yukari instantly let out a scream the rivaled that of the woman before her. Amano shoved her behind him as he stared at the source with disbelieving eyes. "What.. What the hell is that thing?!"
Hitomi's eyes locked onto the sight before her, unwilling to believe her eyes. She shook her head in denial, bringing a hand over her mouth. "No...! No it can't be!" She croaked. There, standing next to the bright orange and red ferris wheel, was unmistakably a Zaibach Guymelef.
She felt her brother's hand tighten around hers, and she took a few steps back. "Oneesan... I want to go home now.." She heard her brother say with a touch of urgency in his voice. She chose to ignore it for the moment and instead focused on the intimidating machine in front of them.
"It's Impossible... Why are they here..?!" She thought. Her voice sounded panicked even in her own head. She started when she heard a few more screams behind her. They glanced over their shoulders and watched in horror as they saw 3 more of the Zaibach machines appear in the flashes of light.
"Hitomi..?" Yukari whispered fearfully.
"They shouldn't be here!" Hitomi muttered anxiously. "They should be on Gaea! Not on Earth! Why are they here?!" She suddenly felt another pain in her chest, and before she could say anymore, the great metal beast raised it's arm and Hitomi's vision was consumed with fire.
00
Ahhhh.. I can be cruel, ne? I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1! Reviews make me update faster, so hurry hurry! D Review Review! Domo Arigato, ne!