Ch 10: Hitomi
Boris was rustling around Hitomi's room, gathering some of Van's belongings he had left the night before while he was going over paperwork. The young woman was idly twirling her pendant between her thumb and forefinger while sitting at the desk. "Miss will you need anything?" Boris asked her gently as he walked toward the door. She did not acknowledge he had spoken and he stood a moment outside her closed door. Suddenly he heard a loud banging and a shriek-"Hitomi!" cried Boris as he flung the door open, his sword in hand. Her window was open and white feathers streamed to the floor...
Hitomi gripped Van's neck and shoulders with all her strength, the rushing wind catching her screams. Van grinned devilishly at her and allowed his wings to spread again so their descent slowed. They glided far from the airship and watched as it docked. Hitomi hadn't realized they were so close to their destination. She doubted if she had known that she would have responded to Van the way she had. They would have been greeting the Queen soon.
Hitomi looked at Van and allowed a giggle to escape her lips. Grinning back, Van kissed her deeply and tightened his hold on her to an embrace. "I'm sorry" he whispered to her ear and hair, he said it so seriously that she rapidly dropped kisses all along his jaw and cheek. They hovered in the air, only clouds swirling around them. Hitomi felt her skin prickle with the cold for the first time, a sharp contrast to the heat she felt in her abdomen and on her lips. She shivered and Van paused, pulling away so his shadowy rust eyes met her own emerald ones. His face set in familiar lines, and he said firmly, "I should take you up to the palace. I have delayed us enough." She smiled faintly back and tightened her grip, "Van I'm glad. You know I just wanted to be close to you." His eyes sparkled and he flew them towards the ship, their hair whipping around them.
"It's different in this big dress, Van. I'm used to feeling the wind on my legs..." Van laughed and replied, "Me too, I'm used to seeing your undies more often." He turned serious for a moment, "Actually I have seen less of your panties since we got engaged." Hitomi blushed bright red. Van gave her a quick squeeze.
Van picked the most conspicuous landing area, as usual, Hitomi was studying the buildings as they came in. Most areas gleamed with white metal, she knew the space was a mix of natural stone (which was often too heavy to use) and ultra-light weight metals that turned darker as time wore on. The Draconian empire was reminiscent of the visions she had experienced of Atlantis, and huge spires rose out of the seemingly complicated streets and buildings. There was a lack of bridges and huge gaps of sky, since Draconians didn't really have a need for walking. But everywhere was green and blue, water condensed naturally from the clouds and collection in huge ponds and streams. Hitomi thought it strange that this city of the clouds was vibrant green with the sounds of tinkling water and birds. Buildings were rounded on top, to allow air currents and moisture to slip past without creating hurricane force winds. The capitol building and castle behind it were the largest domes on the horizon. She could see guards or birds circling high above.
There was a flurry of movement as Allen caught sight of them, and then a contingent of gold armored Draconians moved quickly to surround them. Allen muscled them out of the way with his own company of four and he escorted Van and Hitomi to where Folken was standing with Apollo and a willowy, regal woman.
"I see you have not changed a bit, Van Slazner." The woman addressed Van as soon as they were within speaking distance. Van stopped quickly and dropped into a bow, while taking the queen's hand. "Thank you, your grace. The years have been kind to you as well." The queen smiled coldly at his bent head then raised her gaze to Hitomi. Ice blue eyes locked with emerald green. "And this must be your new bride. Lovely." Hitomi almost flinched as the Queen raked her up and down with her cold eyes. Dipping into a curtsey Hitomi said, "Thank you for welcoming us, your Grace." The Queen said nothing and turned abruptly, ranks of soldiers filling the air above her and to her side like insects. Apollo smiled quickly and inclined his head towards them as he hurried to turn and escort his mother back to the palace.
Hitomi looked at Folken, who offered her his arm. "Come Van, you have delayed us enough." He said to his younger brother. Hitomi looked reproachfully at Folken before also putting her arm through Van's. Safely between the brothers, they walked the short path from the airship to the palace's entrance.
"Have you two resolved whatever was between you?" Folken whispered as they trailed behind the Queen. Van and Hitomi glanced at each other and smiled. Then Hitomi replied, in her best imitation of Van's snotty voice, "Folken it is no concern of yours." Van smothered a smile as Folken stopped walking and stared at the royal couple.
"That was quite good Hitomi," Van whispered as he looked back and smirked at his brother. "You sound more and more like a Queen every day." Hitomi blushed at his praise and snuggled closer to him.
"Now if only the queen of the Draconians will think so."
They entered the austere reception hall, and passed directly through large stone archways that seemed to reach higher than the outside of the palace hinted. Hitomi looked up and up and was astonished to see soldiers and other people of the courts flying above her. They passed through doorways and down hidden halls that were in the rafters. She tried to cover her shock and berated herself inwardly; all this learning about Draconians and the Forbidden Heavens and you let something like people flying around normally shock you. She and Van stopped walking as they watched the Queen's wings sprout. The old queen turned around and snapped, "Only those with wings may follow me today. I will see your future lady at a later time." Hitomi felt heat rush to her face and watched in disbelief as Van stepped forward with Folken. It was unexpected and she felt queerly abandoned. He didn't even say goodbye as he and Folken rose to a large oak door with heavy metal hinges two stories above where she stood with the rest of the human Fanelians.
"Come Hitomi," Allen saidat her side in a reassuring tone. "Your chambers are this way. You must want some rest." Hitomi noticed the king's advisors were also being led away, but not in the same direction as she and Allen. They also seemed miffed and grumbled amongst themselves. She sighed at being lumped into the same group and moaned, "I guess I don't have a choice."
In her reclusive, but bright and cheery chambers, Hitomi watched the citizens of the Kingdom of Heavens fly around. They did not seem to stick to any predetermined flight paths, which she thought was erratic and even a bit dangerous. She thought about the crowdedness of a city that required carriages...or cars. Back home everyone would be crashing into each other. Hitomi started when she realized she was thinking of Earth. She hadn't called Earth home in so long. Sighing, she sunk down in a very un-queen like way to her crossed arms on the window sill. How long would she have to wait for Van's return? As queen, one thing she did not anticipate was always waiting for her king to be ready for her. She wished sometimes to be as free as the birds, but being separated from Van would be too much to bear. Comparing it to more recent memories, she reflected on the times of danger when she and Van and Merle roamed Gaia. Hints of heat flushed her skin and flames danced around the corners of her vision as she recalled that any time she thought she could run off on her own or roam around halls and town it almost always led to certain danger. She had known nothing of this alien world and furthermore, possessed the headstrong tenacity and willfulness that any stubborn teenage girl might. She shuddered to remember the blood and violence of her and Van's time together. She vowed then and there as future Queen of Fanelia to never let violence overcome their Kingdom or Gaia the way it had when they were still mostly children.
"You cannot possibly be cold, Your-future-grace." Hitomi snapped out of her head as she heard Apollo's voice so close. Her first instinct was to check behind her but that elicited a laugh and then he said, in front of her, "Will you invite me in? I don't want the guards to see me." Hitomi almost stepped back to oblige, but she narrowed her eyes and thought of her tenuous position.
"No Apollo, we can talk in normal quarters, without you stealing in here like a common thief. Are you trying to make Van and me look bad?" She crossed her arms and met his eyes. Apollo laughed, "I thought you preferred these clandestine meetings to the superficiality of the courts."
"Well, where can we meet that is better than you flying in my bedroom window?" Hitomi would not budge on this issue and she feared for her and Van's reputation. Apollo sighed in mock exasperation, but replied friendly enough: "Turn right out of your room, there is a large circular study where several hallways meet. It is public enough but not often used. And Van will be able to meet us after he comes back from the meeting." Hitomi nodded and closed her window on him, not caring if he got into trouble. Of course he wouldn't, he was next in line to be lord of this Kingdom.
Hitomi walked silently down the hall with Allen. She had told him where she was going and who she was going to meet and he had insisted he came along. "Not for protection Hitomi, for your honor." He had sternly made the decision for her as soon as he saw her eyebrows coming down in her familiar stubborn expression. They rounded the winding corner and saw Apollo lounging in a comfortable armchair in the center of the room. For a room rarely used, it was impeccably decorated with comfortable lounges, couches, and chairs centered around a warm, crackling fire pit in the middle of the room. Six hallways branched off the circular walls and there was plenty of walking space to circumnavigate the seating area. Bookshelves lined the walls and stretched to the ceiling. Though dusty volumes did cover the shelves, there were also paintings, plants, stones and crystals, and many figurines of people and animals of varying size. Hitomi made her way to the center of the room and sat on a low lounge chair near Apollo.
"It gets quite cold here when the sun goes down. Though we don't have the normal weather Gaians experience, sometimes the clouds cover the city in nighttime. It can be colder than freezing." Apollo seemed to be explaining the necessity of the fire on such a warm day. We are closer to the sun, and it is thus hotter during the day than on Gaia. Such extremes during the course of one day are not really comparable on Gaia..."
"Yes, I was prepared before I arrived." Hitomi replied levelly, wondering what Apollo was really trying to tell her. She pulled on the thread he dangled in front of her and said, "I was told not to be fooled by the cold or the warmth; both can hide the true danger of the rapidly changing weather." Apollo smiled, his mouth curling up into an almost evil grin and he replied with a glint in his eye, "Exactly. The reason so many Gaians scoff or shun Draconians is because they fear us. Even Van's own kingdom nearly refused to acknowledge his mother's ascension to the throne. Power and fear bring evil, and humans think of it as a curse. Power can be welded in different ways Hitomi. How will you choose to influence others with your power?" Hitomi struggled to keep her composure, but realized this was a good test for talking with the Queen. Apollo was playing some sort of dangerous game, but with the Queen, she didn't know if it would be a game she could win. "The only power I wish to use is Van's love for me. He respects me and trusts me to make the decisions for Fanelia that a Queen would make. I do not know what other powers you speak of." She replied carefully, thinking how Apollo could come back with a remark about being a priestess.
"What has your mother told you?" Hitomi asked rather bluntly, tired of the riddles and games. Apollo's smile changed into a guarded shield and he was quiet for a bit before replying, "She suspects you are from the Mystic Moon. We have certain...abilities to detect the energy transmissions from that planet to ours. And you must know our ancestors; the ancient people of Atlantis had a hand in Earth's creation." Hitomi lost her composure and faltered; someone she had never met had demystified her past and told Apollo. Who else had the Queen shared her thoughts with?
"Why are you helping me?" she whispered to Apollo as her hand rose in a fist to her chest. Allen noticed her disturbance and took several steps forward but she waved him away. Apollo's eyes narrowed and a strange look entered his eye. "Contrary to your fiancé's beliefs, Draconians want Gaians to live in peace. We only intervene when the balance has been so upset, it must be corrected. Sometimes this means war and death, but I would rather end the bloodshed. Especially when one so beautiful and talented is involved."
"You cannot possibly be doing all of this for me." Hitomi's eyes widened and her voice held skepticism as she watched his eyes cloud over. She had learned to be wary of kindness; it often meant something in return and so far, Apollo had not been very clear about what he wanted in exchange for his outpouring of information and veiled support. He stood up abruptly from his chair and muttered, "Of course this is not for you."
"My Son!" called a sharp voice. Rapidly approaching footsteps caused Hitomi's eyes to move from Apollo to his mother, Van and Folken behind her. Allen was in a deep bow until the queen passed by. Apollo turned languidly and smiled, "Hello, Mother." The queen took the chair Apollo had just vacated and turned to Hitomi, who was still seated. Hitomi forgot herself for a moment, then quickly stood so she could curtsey, but the queen snapped, "It is fine Ms. Kanzaki, there is no one to judge our royal exchanges."
Hitomi flicked her gaze to Folken; but he was standing stoically behind the queen, his hands clasped. Van walked around to stand near Hitomi and Apollo. Hitomi calmed herself as she felt the familiar edges of uncertainty creep in. She felt a reassuring hand land gently on her shoulder and squeeze briefly, causing her to relax further. She only had to remember the love between them to draw unlimited strength. "Thank you, your grace." Hitomi was reminded briefly of the default respect she was used to between elders and young ones on Earth. This was programmed into her by her culture, and her mother. "Thank you for coming to welcome us. I apologize again for our rude deviation from the normal procedures. This home world is so beautiful; Apollo showed me this great meeting room. I like it here."
The queen smiled in response to Hitomi's respectfulness before asking, "You have been here before, haven't you?" Hitomi felt confused, "No, never...I have seen it in visions though." She was not hiding the truth but it felt as though the queen already had the answers. The queen continued smiling, and her icy eyes hinted at secrets just as stones will sometimes wink through glaciers.
"I have visited with Hitomi, your grace. When Escaflowne and I were unable to break our blood pact, Hitomi traveled to an ancient version of this world to retrieve my soul." All heads swiveled to look at Van, except the queen, "Yes," Hitomi continued for Van, "That's true. I have experienced this place several times in my visions. Mostly with Van. But..." Hitomi hesitated before the warm glow of her love pushed her forward, "I have dreamed of this place too, without Van." Hitomi blushed as she heard Allen's sharp intake of air; these were personal stories and some actually did involve her previous lover. Once she had told Folken about the flying angels, they often entered her dreams and later Van would usually also make an appearance. But before the angels and their home world manifested, sometimes the dream would speak of Allen and his father. The elder Schezarde emitted longing and unending searches...ending in strange flights through the old Draconian world. Allen's fate was a direct result of his father's unfulfilled desires. Until Hitomi had come to Gaia and met Allen's father in a vision, he had haunted her dreams like a ghost.
"I often wonder how dreams come to us. Why do we have the ones we have? Sometimes we are able to control dreams, fly through them or skip ahead. More often the dream controls the weak human mind...except for those strange humans with a gift, with knowledge not from Gaia. Not only Fanelia, but Gaia legends speak of the witches and wizards from Earth. Isaac, whom I met years ago, was one."
Allen stepped forward several hesitant steps as he gasped, "You knew-"
At the same time, Folken breathed, ""Isaac?!"
Hitomi blushed deeply and could also not contain her exclamation, "Earth!" She looked down at her hands trembling in her lap, and then felt Van's reassuring squeeze to her shoulder.
"You will not scare Hitomi, my Queen. She anticipated this line of thinking." As Van spoke, Hitomi looked up into the Queen's eyes to gauge her reaction; the Queen's face was set in a serious frown. She truly looked as if she had not expected Hitomi to know this conversation was coming.
"You were not so confident in the show you put on?" The queen finally asked, true curiosity winning over her steely outer facade, "And the elders in the forest, weren't you certain they believed you survived on your own?" Hitomi's eyebrows came down in a flash, and without thinking she snapped, "Of course they suspected, I haven't honed my mental abilities for nothing. I kept my doubts to myself, because there was so much effort put into these false stories. Our kingdom's existence certainly is dependent on my acceptance. But, after you sent Apollo to us in the forest that is when I knew you knew."
There was complete silence as Folken and Apollo gaped at Hitomi. Only Van seemed non-perturbed, but he still smirked at Hitomi's loss of control. The hot-tempered girl that had gotten the best of him was making an appearance and was not stopping now. The queen was listening closely, her eyes sparkling as Hitomi continued hotly:
"You are like Varie; I know now why you two were so close. You are a true prophet and priestess. Lying to you would be like lying to myself. At least Apollo had some grace to play along, but now I suspect it was all due to your rule. Yes, I am from Earth. Yes, we had to trick Fanelia. We suspect Van's inner circle of advisors is plotting to kill me. And while I don't care that much for politics, I do care to live this life with Van. I stayed here on Gaia to be with him." Hitomi stood, not certain if she was shaking with fear, passion, anger...but she felt ready to bolt down the corridor. Van's hand was the only thing keeping her rooted to the metaphorical ground.
The queen stood as well, "My dear, I did not mean for this to erupt so passionately. You do have much to prove, but that is only because you have set the bar so high for yourself. You and Van have already saved this world and dimension, can you imagine the sort of threat you are to people who do not understand that type of power? I understand your predicament. And I want to help."