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The Missing Page	By : Squallsama Category: +. to F > Escaflowne Views: 5539 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Prelude: The Beginning of the End
- 2-The King of Fanelia
- 1
- 2
Title: The Missing Page

By: Squall-sama

Pairings: VanxHitomi, Dryden+Marlene, ????+Hitomi, Van+OFC *cackles psychotically*

Warnings: NC-17 (eventually),
Angst, Sap, Fluff, LIME, Blood/Gore, Potty Mouths, NO Deathficness�just wanna
make that clear here� okay, yes, see� this is the W-A-R-N-I-N-G! That�s right,
warning! Anybody who doesn�t like the ratings of what I put on here�GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!!
I�m not liable for some dumb-ass kid or adult that has nothing better to do
than act stupid and flame me because they can�t read.

Disclaimer: Don�t own them, don�t
sue me, Sunrise and Bandai do as well
the wonderfully evil Hajime Yatate and Shoji Kawamori, who
created Escaflowne.

Notes: And deterring from my
usual yaoi obsessive ness� *gasps* OMG! My first het
fic�EVER!!!!! *mutters* And it will most likely be my last�. SO ENJOY IT WHILE
I WRITE IT!!!

Extra Notes:� ~�� *�� *�� ~ same scene different POV�sort of

*�� .��
*�� .�� *��
.�� * scene switch

~Italics~ visions

Italics inner monologue/thoughts

~��
~�� ~�� ~��
~

Page 1: The King
of Fanelia

�Hitomi�? Hitomi!� Too many sounds,
too much noise� where�what happened�? Oh
my god! Sitting up quicker than she should have, Hitomi regretted it as
soon as she did but was thankfully held up by a pair of helpful hands. The Pillar of Light� I�m back, I�m back on Gaea�. For the first time in months, Hitomi felt a joy she thought she
had lost and as the warmth and happiness filled her she took in her
surroundings, noticing the construction of buildings of various degrees all
around her; people laughing and working, talking and enjoying themselves all
around, and life�liveliness in this city she was sure she had never seen in her
previous travels before but for some reason felt a familiarity to it. Then her
eyes finally settled on the person who had been holding her up and Hitomi just
stared for a long moment, startled into silence at the sight of ...Celena�

�Oh, Hitomi� I can�t believe you�re
here! It�s so wonderful to see you! This is just� wow�it�s so great! Everyone
will be so happy to see you! Especially Merle! You have no idea how exciting
this is!� Hitomi could only stare as Celena rambled on, speaking much more than
she ever thought the silver-haired girl ever would, especially after�. Well,
that was in the past. Then it hit her, Merle?
Why would Merle be here? But where is here anyway�? This doesn�t look like
Palas� but it couldn�t be�!

�Celena� w-where am I? Are we�is
this� Palas�?� Feeling foolish for asking what must be such an obvious
question, Hitomi looked down at the brick pavers, blushing slightly in
embarrassment. Celena looked confused for a moment and then realized that, of
course Hitomi wouldn�t recognize where she was at�the city had changed
drastically since the last time she was in it. Celena smiled comfortingly and
took Hitomi�s hand in hers as she started to walk back up the cobblestone path.

�You�re in Fanelia, Hitomi�. It�s
changed a lot hasn�t it?� Hitomi stopped suddenly and just stared in
open-mouthed shock at the city surrounding her. This was Fanelia�? But� she had
only been gone for four months� how could this much have been done in such a
short amount of time? Celena seemed to know Hitomi�s thoughts and giggled
softly, tugging on the sandy-haired girl�s hand again.

�After you left Hitomi, Asturia and
Zaibach signed peace treaties with Fanelia�real peace treaties� and since
Fanelia took the most damage from the war, Asturia and Zaibach have sent
workers to help rebuild it, as a sign of friendship. They�ve been working
non-stop since you left. The city is even bigger now than it was before it had
been destroyed. Lord Van has been working hard to restore it back to the way it
was and finally break the political and cultural barriers that had been
�protecting� Fanelia before it was destroyed.� Celena continued to ramble on
about some random building project going on in one district of the city or
another, but Hitomi heard none of it after Van�s name was mentioned. Van� Lord Van� he�s finally doing it�he
always wanted to change how Fanelia was cut off from the rest of Gaea� and he�s finally done it. He must be so happy. But�. Hitomi�s
thoughts came to a sudden halt when she realized something all the excitement
had made her overlook: even if others from Asturia and Zaibach were here to
help repair Fanelia, why was Celena here? She really had no reason to be here
otherwise.

�Celena�?� Hitomi asked softly, the
name still new and strange on her tongue, in place of Dilandau. Celena stopped
and turned back to Hitomi, giving the green-eyed girl a soft, sweet smile�something
that suited her very well, Hitomi thought. Hesitating at the carefree nature of
the silver-haired girl before her, Hitomi stuttered out her question,

�Wh-why� uh, well� why are you
here�? I mean� it�s just, I don�t see why you�d have any other reason to be in
Fanelia�� She left the question open, just in case she
had to elaborate, but Hitomi didn�t think she�d have to because Celena caught
on quickly enough and replied,

�Oh, of course! I suppose it must
seem odd for me to be here of all places� actually everyone is here�Princess
Millerna and Lord Dryden�
even Princess Eries! My dear brother is here of course� oh! And�� Hitomi
cleared her throat and gave Celena a withering look, clearly wanting her to get
to the point. Celena stopped and blushed, giggling shyly while waving her hand
distractedly.

�Oh, yes, yes, of course! Lord Van
is getting married! You should see the�� Hitomi never heard the rest of
Celena�s words though as the all-too-familiar darkness consumed her.

*�� .��
*�� .�� *��
.�� *

��can�t believe she�s here again!
Oh, Lord Van, isn�t it wonderful! Ah! Look, look! Hitomi, you�re awake!!� True
to the loud words above her, Hitomi was awake, but wishing she was still caught
within the blissful darkness. Van� is
getting married�? He�s� found someone else�. I� I left him� of course he would
find someone else�. Then a large ball of fur and energy surrounded the
brooding girl, interrupting her dark thoughts momentarily.

�Oh, Hitomi, I�m so glad you�re
back!!! I can�t believe you�re here! I�ve missed you so much! Why haven�t you
come to see us!? Have you seen the city? It�s almost finished! We can go look
at it when you feel better! And did you�� Hitomi could barely catch all that
Merle was excitedly gushing about and before she could interrupt, another voice
did it for her� a very familiar, and very attractive voice that Hitomi had been
dreaming about for far longer than she had dared speak about.

�That�s enough Merle� leave her
alone�.� That voice� Oh God� it�s Him�. Hitomi slowly turned to face
the young man not more than five feet away from her and all the precious air
she needed for survival, was swept from her body in an instant; all reason and
thought left her�the room, Merle, the city, Gaea disappeared leaving only Hitomi� and him. As Hitomi�s eyes
swept over his regal features and kingly clothing, she couldn�t contain the
lustful feelings she suddenly felt for him. It was a strange feeling; before,
she had only felt happiness and love and a sort of childish giddiness when
around him� she still felt all those things now, but now lust was at the top of
the list�Hitomi just chalked it up to hormones. As she continued to undress him
with her eyes, his name escaped her lips in nothing more than a desperate
whisper.

�Van�.� Oh yeah, great Hitomi. You don�t see him for four months and that�s all
you can say? Real slick, that�ll win him over instantly�! As Hitomi berated
herself for her idiocy, she never noticed Van take a hesitant step closer, or
the way Merle eyed the two people she cared for most with feral
mischievousness. Merle grinned viciously and glanced over at her Lord Van but
noticed his hesitance and the deep frown marring his handsome features and her
smile vanished. Hopping down off the side of Hitomi�s bed, Merle slowly made
her way over to Van. She stopped just in front of him and stared up at his
distinguished face sadly, questioningly.

The cat-girl nudged his arm gently
and laid her head on his shoulder.

�Leave us Merle�� Both Merle and
Hitomi, shocked out of her internal argument by Van�s voice, looked up at the
king in surprise, but Merle knew now wasn�t the time to argue, thus she slowly
slinked out the room, tail between her legs and ears folded down to the sides
of her head.

�Bye Hitomi�� Merle whispered
sadly. Hitomi just stared after the usually perky cat-girl in shock, but
quickly turned her attention to Van, who had since moved closer to her,
standing only a mere foot from the edge of the bed and stared down at Hitomi
almost indifferently. The turbulent mixture of emotions roiling behind Van�s
eyes was the only thing that gave him away.

When Hitomi realized she had been
staring, she blushed brightly and looked away, suddenly unsure of what to say
and so began to stutter in her embarrassment.

�I� I, uhm�. well, I-I�m� sorry�.�
Hitomi chewed on her bottom lip in nervousness, unsure of the situation now and
wondering how she always managed to get herself into these kinds of messes. A
long, loud sigh was the only answer she got as Van turned away and slowly
walked back to the other side of the room. He stopped beside a chair and leaned
on it heavily, his back to Hitomi� but she could see the strain in his
shoulders and the uneasiness about him. A long, heavy silence fell between them
then and Hitomi began to wonder if Van was ever going to say anything. For a
moment she thought Van might have just been completely ignoring her, so she
slipped out of the bed and slowly made her way over to him, but just as she
began to round the table he was on the other side of he spoke up, but what he
said wasn�t anything like what she expected from him.

�Why did you come back�?� He
glanced over his shoulder then and a darkness in his eyes, previously unseen by
Hitomi, pierced her so deeply she could feel
his pain, even from the distance they stood apart. Hitomi cringed slightly
and looked down, not sure what to say to Van�s question. Hitomi never expected
anyone not to want her back on Gaea�
especially not Van�.

�I� I�m not sure� I�� Unable to
take Van�s silence and the unnerving depression about them, Hitomi just broke
down and spilled everything,

�I�m so sorry Van, I never should
have left! I don�t know why I did in the first place� I was so stupid to go
back to Earth! The entire time I was there I was miserable! And I was just
stupid for not even coming back and visiting�! I could have anytime I wanted,
but I didn�t, and I�m so sorry�. I-I�ve missed everyone so much� a-and I�ve
missed you�.� Hitomi didn�t know what else to say, everything just came out all
at once and now she was left empty and scared, scared of what Van would say and
how he would react. And for good reason too, as Van now stood there, facing
Hitomi with a completely unreadable expression on his face and his eyes totally
devoid of all emotion. Hitomi swallowed nervously and knew she wasn�t going to
like what Van was about to say.

�It�s too late now, Hitomi�. You�ve
been gone for four months� what did you expect us�me to do? Wait for you�? I
did, for weeks, I waited�. Then a month passed, and two and three and four� and
you never came back�. You never came back to me�. I-I moved on and I�m getting
married soon, you should go back to the Mystic Moon and move on with your life�
like I have. Just forget this place� and me�.� Hitomi could hardly handle what
Van was saying, as every word he spoke pierced her through her heart, over and
over again. Her hurt was so great, she never noticed the way Van�s voice broke
with emotion or the way his eyes filled with the pain they both felt at what he
said.

Taking in a deep, shaky breath,
Hitomi did everything she could to hold back the burning tears that threatened
to spill down her cheeks and with a slow, shaky nod, she backed away and
started for the door.

�I� you�re right� I don�t know what
I was thinking. I�m sorry I disrupted your happy life that you have now� I-I�ll
leave� and find my own way back to Earth. Goodbye�.� Before Hitomi could reach
the doorway though, Van grabbed her arm, which ended up being a huge mistake as
Hitomi was thrown into another vision.

~Laughter.

A
child�s giggling lightheartedness.

�Daddy�!�
A little boy, no more than a few years, running into the arms of his father. Both so much alike, the resemblance frightening.

�Daddy,
high!� The boy�s father tosses him up in the air gently, catching his son and
laughing deeply with pride and joy in his child�s evident excitement.

Both
look so much alike, yet they are so different, for son will never have the
hardships father had to bear.~

Gasping in shock at the sudden loss
of air and oddness of her vision, Hitomi practically ripped her arm from Van�s
grasp and stumbled out of the room and into the outside hallway that connected
all the way around, surrounding a traditional Japanese garden. But Hitomi
noticed none of these things as she tried desperately to get away from Van and
the vision that still burned behind her eyes. She didn�t get far though as she
passed another person�someone she had never met before on Gaea
and someone she knew would bring the destruction of it as well. Hitomi was
suddenly thrown into yet another vision, this one more vicious and terrible
than any before.

~The Beam of Light, connecting Earth and Gaea� straight into Zaibach.

�You
will go to Fanelia, and there you will befriend the king.� One of the
wizards�they were still alive?

�You
must gain his trust� you must control him completely�use anything you must to
do so�� Another wizard� could all of them still be alive?

�Once
you have filled his thoughts with that of only you and a marriage has been
proposed, then you must have him awaken the White Dragon once more�.� Yes, the
last of the three wizards�the three manipulators.

�Only
then, when these are under our control, will we be able to achieve our goal�.�
What goal?

�Only
then will our new world be created�.� New world�?

�Only
then will Gaea and the Mystic Moon become one�! Do you
understand these orders you have been given child?� Who�?

�Of
course, my lords� I will do as you command.� That girl, no!

Agony.
Earth drawing closer�

Despair.
The Moon destroyed.

Chaos.
Gaea, enveloping the Moon and Earth.

Death.
The complete annihilation of both Earth and Gaea�their
civilizations, vanished�all life, gone.~ [1]

With a sickening force, Hitomi was
ripped from her vision, leaving her body shaking and in a cold sweat. She never
even touched the person that had passed her� but she didn�t need to because she
knew, without even seeing, that it was the girl from her vision. The last thing
Hitomi saw before she fainted was that woman, wrapping her arms around Van�s
neck and her lips meeting those of the king�s. Hitomi never saw the sorrow
within Van�s eyes, or the fear he felt for her.

*�� .��
*�� .�� *��
.�� *

It was dark, and quiet� too quiet
for a world so full of life and happiness. But there was no life� and no
happiness at all, there was� nothing. Hitomi couldn�t understand what was
happening; it was as if a blanket of silence and night had been thrown over the
world, killing everything as it smothered. Unsure what she should do, Hitomi,
called out for help, hoping someone would hear in the silence.

�Hello� is anybody there�?! Hello!�
there was no answer, nothing, not even an echo. Where am I�? As Hitomi questioned her situation, she began to walk
through the darkness, trusting her instincts to lead her safely� but safe was
far from her. Suddenly the ground began to shake and then it disappeared from
beneath Hitomi, sending her reeling back into the dark void. As she fell a moon
loomed above her and� The Earth� Then
a beam of light shot forth from the Earth and straight through Hitomi�s body,
past her.

Expecting pain or the shocking
sensation of being enveloped by that light, Hitomi braced herself for the worst,
but nothing ever came�no pain, no dizziness� nothing, just like the rest of
this strange place�she just continued to fall, or float was more the word now.
Slowly opening her eyes, Hitomi glances around and realized that the Beam of
Light wasn�t even touching her�it was going right through her as if she wasn�t
even there! What is going on�?
Glancing behind her, where the Beam of Light had been traveling to, she saw Gaea,
but it didn�t look the same�it didn�t look alive.

It was so dark and silent, as if
all life had been destroyed upon the once great planet�even the plants and air
itself were still and dead. Hitomi turned back to look at Earth, wondering if
the same horrible fate had befallen her once-upon-a-time home planet and what
she saw brought tears to her eyes: Earth was no more� just pieces of floating
rock and crumbling decay. The moon was in similar ruin, its pieces and chunks
of dirt and mysterious mineral, falling into what remained of the Earth�s
atmosphere; the silver-white of the once glowing orb colliding and creating
more destruction with that of the Earth�s dried up clods.

Oh
God� what� happened�?! Hot tears slowly fell from Hitomi�s eyes and rolled
down her cheeks, leaving hot trails in their wake.

�Why did you do it Hitomi�?� What�? Quickly turning around to face
the intruder, Hitomi realized she was no longer floating in space, but standing
in some sort of void�a limbo�someplace between Heaven and Hell, where only dark
grey mist and clouds hung heavily for the air and sky and dusty, dry rock was
the earth they stood upon. Seeing no one near by, Hitomi called out, knowing
for sure she heard something.

�H-hello�? Is� anybody there�?�
wondering if she was really beginning to lose it, Hitomi started to panic when
she received no reply. Not until she was about to call again, did the voice
speak up once more.

�Why, Hitomi� why did you do it�?� What? I don�t understand�. Who� suddenly
through the mist, someone appeared, slowly materializing before Hitomi.
Squinting through the thick fog, Hitomi tried to make out who it was, but could
only see the shadow of them. Then Hitomi noticed more people arriving; none of
them coming close enough for Hitomi to make out who each of them were, just
lingering on the outskirts of her foggy prison.

�Wh-who are you�? What did I do�?�
Hitomi didn�t understand what they were talking about; what did they mean? Who
where they?

�Hitomi� it�s all your fault. Why
did you leave�?� Millerna. What!?!

�Hitomi, how could you have left
us?� Allen. I-I
didn�t�.

�It�s your fault the Mystic Moon
and Gaea are destroyed�!� Celena. But you�

�It�s your fault everyone is dead!�
Merle. Merle? Please� I don�t
understand�.�

�Hitomi, it�s your fault we�re
dead!� Van! No, but I didn�t�!

�No, Van� please, I didn�t�� NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!�
suddenly the earth beneath Hitomi�s feet disappeared once again, sending her
reeling back into the black abyss�.��

�

*�� .��
*�� .�� *��
.�� *

�NNNOOOOOO!!!!� Hitomi bolted upright,
drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Glancing around at her surroundings,
she realized she was back in the room she had first awoken in when she arrived
back on Gaea after fainting the first time. This is getting real repetitive�� Okay� I
need to think for a minute and figure out what�s going on and what I�m going to
do. I-I can�t stay� not now� why did I come back? Van is� he�s� well, I�m not
needed here anymore�. I just don�t understand why I was brought back in the
first place if this is what he�s decided and nothing is wrong here�. Those
dreams are just� they�re just dreams. Fanelia is almost rebuilt, Palas, and�
Zaibach have alliances with Van� everything is perfect now� right? But that
girl�no! No, I can�t ruin Van�s happiness.... I-if he really wants to� marry
her� then� nobody should stop him. I-I need to leave� I can�t stay here or
something horrible might happen again. I�m not� I�m not going to keep Van from
his wedding and� bride��

Even thinking such heartbreaking
thoughts brought tears to her eyes; the pain she felt was almost overwhelming
and she couldn�t hold back the tears that forced their way over the dam and
down her cheeks. I�m so sorry Van�.

~�� *�� *�� ~

After composing herself, Hitomi had
found some paper and a pen and wrote a letter for everyone, not wanting to face
them personally and not knowing if she could without breaking down completely.

My Friends,

Forgive me for any hurt I may have caused you with my abrupt return; I
still do not understand what caused my sudden arrival here on Gaea.

I am sorry I could not say goodbye to all of you personally, or even a
hello to most of you� but certain� events are preventing me from doing so and I
do not wish to disrupt your lives anymore than I have.

I will find a way to get back to Earth�the Mystic Moon�and I do not
want any of you to worry for me or come after me, please.

I want you to know that I love you all and miss you terribly and I am so
sorry I did not come back sooner to visit�I should have�it was stupid of me not
to. But� I will not be coming back again after this� I have no place here.

I wish everyone happiness and peace.

I don�t regret meeting any one of you.

Love,��

� Hitomi

Sighing in resignation, Hitomi
gently placed the letter in the center of the desk, where someone could find
it. I�m sorry� I hope they understand�. Sighing
again, Hitomi picked up her duffle bag and left, making sure she made no noise
to alert anyone of her presence.

*�� .��
*�� .�� *��
.�� *

The hike from the palace, through
the city and into the forest beyond was harder than Hitomi expected, especially
while trying to avoid being seen. By the time she got far enough from the city
not to be seen, she was exhausted; but something was keeping her from stopping�
something she couldn�t quite put her finger on, but it was familiar all the
same. As she followed her instincts and the curiously soothing flow of energy,
she found herself being led to a very familiar clearing. Escaflowne�

Walking up the hulking majesty,
Hitomi slowly took in its worn and unused appearance: moss and plant growth
tangling around its arms and legs as if they were shackles, binding Escaflowne down.
Somehow feeling sad for it, Hitomi didn�t understand why, considering
Escaflowne was technically what had brought her to Gaea. Wait a minute� Escaflowne brought me here�
maybe it can send me home� like before. [2] Slowly and carefully, Hitomi
climbed up Escaflowne, the vines and growth making it easier to climb towards
her destination; when she finally got to its core�the place where it�s energist
once was�Hitomi took a deep breath and closed her eyes then placed her hand
upon the dull pink crystal�.

Nothing. Blinking in confusion,
Hitomi slowly opened her eyes and looked around, wondering what happened�she
didn�t even have a vision. Sighing in frustration, she hopped down from
Escaflowne and thought over her situation for a moment, not sure what to do now
that Escaflowne couldn�t even get her back to Earth. As she thought about where
she could go next, something behind Escaflowne caught her eye. Hmm? What�s this�? As she got closer to
it, she realized with a start what it was. Oh�!
It�s the Fanel grave�. Hitomi kneeled before the great stone slab and
brought her hands together in prayer. [3]

Forgive
me� I left Van all alone when I went back to Earth. I� wasn�t thinking. I don�t
know what I was doing�. I thought even if I left I would come back; because I
could come back anytime I wanted� right? No, I never even tried� it�s like
something always kept me from coming back. That�s not an excuse though. I never
wanted to hurt Van� I love him so
much� and now I�ll never get that back�I deserve it. I left� and I was
replaced. It�s only right� right? Hitomi could feel the tears building up
as she spoke, her sorrow building with the wetness. I�m so sorry�! I love Van so much! I was so stupid to leave! She
burst into tears then, everything so overwhelming and her situation finally
hitting home. �

As her cries grew stronger and she
doubled up over the shrine�her hands over her face in shame, two small tear
drops escaped and fell to the fine stone; in a flash of blinding light, Hitomi
was engulfed in a warm, comforting presence which immediately halted her
muffled sobs and flowing tears. Looking around in astonishment, Hitomi could
hardly believe what�or more precisely, who, she saw: Folken and his mother,
Varie�. Van�s mother� They both
greeted her with warm, caring smiles and they looked so happy and at peace.

Hitomi couldn�t stand it anymore
and she burst into a fit of fresh tears again. Covering her face in shame,
Hitomi began to babble incoherently about everything that had happened and how
sorry she was, but Folken and Varie just continued to smile down at her.

�I�m so sorry!! What have I done!?
Why did I leave him, you�everyone!? I�m such an idiot. Please, just send me
back to Earth and�� Folken kneeled down beside Hitomi then and placed his hand
on her shoulder, which she felt, and it startled her out her pity trip. Hitomi
looked up at Folken sadly, but he just continued to smile.

�Everything will be fine young
Hitomi� do not despair. You mustn�t leave� Van does still need you, as you need him. Your journey has not yet
ended� there is still much for you to do� but running away is not the
answer.... trust your instincts and heart, they will lead you right�they did
before, didn�t they�?� the smile Folken gave Hitomi surprised her and all she
could do was stare up at his handsome face.

Varie knelt beside them then,
placing her hand upon Hitomi�s shoulder as she did so; her other hand on
Folken�s for support. Slowly Varie brought her hand up to Hitomi�s neck then to
cup the girl�s cheek. Hitomi closed her eyes and leaned into the ghostly touch,
tears building up under her lashes once more, but she refused to let them fall.
I�m sorry� Varie sighed softly and
stood back up once more, squeezing Folken�s shoulder for him to follow; Hitomi
frowned and opened her eyes, questioning mother and son silently. Then Varie
spoke for the first time since they had appeared.

�Hitomi, you were brought here
before, to help my sons with your gift�. Do you remember what I told you,
before? Your fear and anxiety cause pain and suffering for everyone� what you
feel is reflected upon yourself and others. That is why you mustn�t let your
negative emotions overpower you.� Varie paused for a moment then, as if
collecting her thoughts before continuing. �I know Van cannot show his emotions
like others�he has difficulty understanding what he feels and how to express
it�. That is my fault, I was not there to help him understand�to show him�. But
you can show him, you can give him the light he needs to love�. You are his light. Show him�.� Folken and his mother began to fade
away then, Varie�s words lingering in the breeze as their smiling faces
disappeared.

Hitomi stared at the spot that they
vanished from for a long while, absorbing everything that had happened and was
said. She didn�t understand how she
could be the one to make Van happy when he was already engaged, but if Van�s
mother said it was so, then maybe Hitomi might have a chance� To make him mine again�.

Taking in a calming breath, Hitomi
said a few final prayers to the Fanel shrine before heading on back to the
city. As she made her way along the narrow path through the forest, Hitomi
whispered aloud to her loved ones,

�Sorry Mom� Yukari, Amano� but I
can�t come back, not yet. Maybe someday� and maybe you can meet Van then as
well�. I love you.� Hitomi never noticed that a very nosey and curious cat-girl
heard her words, nor did she realize how close her voice actually got to
Earth�.

*�� .��
*�� .�� *��
.�� *

�But aren�t you worried about
her?!� Yukari asked, nearly in tears over losing Hitomi once again. Hitomi�s
mother on the other hand, was quite calm about everything as she placed a tray
of tea on the table before them.

�I�m not worried about her at all�
I know she can take care of herself, just like before� and I know she is gone
for good this time.� Her calm composure seemed to be too much for Yukari who
broke down into sobs against Amano�s shoulder. Amano didn�t understand either,
but he had to be strong for Yukari and keep a level head, at least long enough
to figure out why Hitomi�s mother wasn�t hysterical about her only daughter
gone missing�again.

�Mrs.
Kanzaki, I don�t understand how you can be
so calm about this. Hitomi has completely vanished off the face of this planet!
How can you just accept that? And what do you mean she�s gone for good this
time?!� it took all of Amano�s will power not to yell like Yukari had done, it
was only out of respect for Hitomi that he didn�t scream at her mother like he
just itched to do. Mrs. Kanzaki
remained completely unruffled by her daughter�s two best friends near hysteria
and calmly explained why.

�I know she is not returning
because she has found her true love�.� Yukari and Amano stared at Hitomi�s
mother like she had grown a second head, wondering how she even knew that. Mrs.
Kanzaki just smiled sadly and continued,
�When I was a child, I never had the� abilities that my mother or Hitomi
possess. I know nothing about tarot cards or fortune readings� I can�t even
feel spirits. But I can feel this: I know
Hitomi is gone and that she�s in a good place�a place that will give her what
she wants and needs. She�s found people, friends that will take care of her,
become her new family�.� Yukari and Amano looked hurt at that admission, but
said nothing and let Hitomi�s mother continue.

�When she came back, she became so
withdrawn and depressed; she wasn�t herself. She had even stopped doing tarot
readings�she hadn�t touched her cards once after she came back. I knew then
that something had happened wherever it was that she went, something vital and
necessary.� She let out a long, tired sigh then, as if it would help lift some
imaginary weight off her shoulders.

Yukari struggled with the new
information for a moment then asked, �But� how do you know for sure that Hitomi
is back at that place�?� she still couldn�t accept that Hitomi might never be
coming back to them again. Mrs. Kanzaki
just smiled and nodded to herself before answering.

�I just know�. Her tarot cards are
gone� and I can feel nothing of her presence in this house anymore�not like
before, when it still felt like she was around� this time I know�. And� she�s
happy�.�

*�� .��
*�� .�� *��
.�� *

I
don�t remember being stared at this much, last time I was here. Hitomi was making
her way through a finished section of the city, having decided she wasn�t quite
ready to head back to the palace just yet, but she was beginning to wonder if
that was such a good idea. Making a face about being stared at so openly,
Hitomi tried making herself less obvious, but that only served to draw
everyone�s attention to her more. Maybe I
should get some different clothes� now that I�ll be staying here for a while�
and since nobody can keep their noses out of other people�s business. Hitomi
glowered at the older woman she passed, who was staring right at her.

Little did she know, as she
continued on her way, that she wasn�t only being followed with everyone�s eyes,
but literally as well.

~�� *�� *�� ~

A short while later Hitomi came to
a cozy little shop with a sign above the door that read �Fanelia�s Finest Seamstress�. When Hitomi glanced inside the
windows, she saw dozens of dresses of all shapes and colors, Ah� this looks like a good place� she
thought. When she entered the shop, the bells on the door gave a little jangle,
announcing her entrance but there was no one around�it seemed completely empty.
Hitomi was about to leave when she heard a woman�s voice from somewhere within
the back of the shop call to her.

�I�ll be there in a moment� why
don�t you have a look around�?� and Hitomi did just that, slowly making her way
through the racks of clothing and bolts of clothe as she waited. No more than a
few minutes later the shopkeeper appeared and was all smiles until she saw
Hitomi�s clothing. Quickly, Hitomi tried to think up some excuse for her
wardrobe, but thankfully she was saved from doing so by her little shadow that
had been following her all morning. Merle popped in the door and said rather
nonchalantly,

�Don�t worry Victoria,
she�s living with us in the palace now�. She�s obviously going to need new
clothes so� just put it on my tab�.� All Hitomi could do was stare at Merle as
if she had grown a second head�or tail in her case; Merle just stared right
back at Hitomi with a look that clearly said, �just try and say no.� Hitomi
sighed and decided it was best not to argue about something she knew she wasn�t
going to win. With a withering look, Hitomi turned back to Victoria
the seamstress and nodded as if saying it were true.

�Sorry, I� didn�t think about that
before. I, uh� traveled far to get here�it�s been a long trip.� She smiled
apologetically, hoping the aging woman wouldn�t ask questions or continue to be
suspicious. For once luck was on Hitomi�s side and Victoria nodded and smiled
kindly, leaving it at that before going on and asking what color fabrics Hitomi
would like; what style dresses, the thickness of the material� until Hitomi was
nearly dizzy from all the questions. Gosh,
I�d forgotten how hard it was to pick out dresses here�.

�Maybe I should have let Millerna
pick them out for me�� Hitomi hadn�t realized she�d muttered that out loud
until Merle piped up happily,

�Hitomi! That�s a great idea! I�ll go
get her, she should be out in the market today anyhow�said something about
shopping for supplies of something or other�I have no idea. Be right back! Just
hang on a sec Victoria!
Stay here Hitomi�� Hitomi and Victoria just
stared at Merle, the rapid change in demeanor and conversation so sudden they
didn�t know how to react or what to do but listen to Merle as the overzealous
cat-girl bounded out the door, supposedly in search of Princess
Millerna.

Thankfully they didn�t have to wait
long�Hitomi didn�t know what she would have done if she had to wait much
longer; alone with Victoria.
Merle came bounding back through the shop door, dragging a protesting Millerna
and Celena in behind her. When they saw Hitomi their protests died immediately
and Celena walked right over to give Hitomi a hug. Millerna on the other hand,
just stood in the entry way for a moment, staring at Hitomi as if she were a
ghost. Hitomi stared back, over Celena�s shoulder wondering why Millerna looked
so disbelieving. Didn�t she know I was
here? Hitomi didn�t wait to find out and slipped from Celena�s embrace to
give Millerna a hug as well, whispering, �I�ve missed you.� ��

Millerna was silent and motionless
for a moment, then she slowly wrapped her arms around Hitomi and whispered back,
�I-I�ve missed you too�� the unspoken words hung between them for a moment
before they heard someone clearing their throat. The two young women pulled
apart, blushing at their audience before Millerna asked in the most interested
way she could,

�So, I supposed you�re looking for
new clothes Hitomi�?� Hitomi blushed and nodded, going along with Millerna,
just so Victoria
wouldn�t be anymore suspicious about them than she probably already was. Celena
smiled excitedly and Merle finally piped up,

�You know how bad Hitomi is at
dressing herself, there�s no way she could pick out a dress, much less have any
made!� Hitomi just glared at Merle and the others laughed; Millerna seemed to
take that as incentive and she quickly fell into conversation with Victoria,
Celena joining in to add her own opinions on the subject. Hitomi just stood
there, frowning at nothing�confused about her situation when Merle sidled up
beside her and passed a slip of paper into Hitomi�s hand secretly, whispering
just loud enough for the girl to hear,

�You�re lucky I found this letter
before anyone else did�nobody else knows you�re here yet, Lord Van asked Celena
and me to keep it a secret� but since you�re staying�.� She trailed off,
leaving the message open and then slipped away to meander around the shop,
leaving Hitomi to stand there, just as perplexed about her situation as ever.
Thankfully Millerna and Celena quickly pulled her into their discussion of what
she would be wearing and the rest of her time was spent in a dizzying whirlwind
of material, colors, styles and trying on dress, after dress, after dress�.

The rest of the day consisted of
shopping for more clothes for Hitomi�Millerna and Celena picking out a few
articles of clothing here and there�catching up on the months of recovery over
Gaea that Hitomi had missed, discussing the treaties between countries and even
Millerna�s growing feelings for Dryden; but the one subject all of them seemed
to avoid, by unspoken agreement, was Van and his marriage to this mysterious
girl Hitomi had seen earlier. Hitomi was just fine with that though, she didn�t
think she was ready to talk about what happened that morning or who Van�s�
fianc�e was; she just wanted to enjoy her time with the other three, as she
never really had the time to do before.

*�� .��
*�� .�� *��
.�� *

�By the time they returned to the palace,
Hitomi was in a far better mood than she had been since she returned to Earth.
A weight had been lifted, but at the same time she felt a terrible darkness
lingering in the back of everything happening at the forefront of her new
situation, but she didn�t want to think of it now, all she wanted to do was eat
something and go sleep. The four girls said their goodbyes and parted ways to
head back to their respective rooms, but Merle stayed with Hitomi, following
the blonde girl back silently, only stopping to speak to a servant once on the
way there.

When Hitomi entered her room, I might as well call it mine, I�m gonna be
here a while� she half expected to see Van in there, waiting for her, but
he wasn�t and it was just a foolish thought. She placed her bags down on the
floor and made her way over to the bed, flopping onto it in exhaustion. Merle
strolled in, not too far behind Hitomi and hopped onto a chair, perching herself
there so that she could stare at Hitomi. Said girl of such watching eyes just
laid there, trying to ignore the boring gaze, but she finally grew irritated
with the piercing blue eyes staring at her and she sighed loudly before sitting
up to stare right back at Merle.

The cat-girl�s eyes spoke volumes
without even uttering any words, and Hitomi realized that, looking away under
the pressure of Merle�s gaze. Hitomi didn�t want to face what she new was
coming. That never stopped Merle before though.

�Are you just going to accept
what�s happening Hitomi? Or are you going to fight it, like you know you
should�� Hitomi directed a harsh glare Merle�s way and said, a little more
angrily than she intended,

�I never wanted any of this in the
first place! I never wanted to fight the first time I was here and I don�t want
to fight now!!� looking away, Hitomi lowered a voice slightly and in a pained
whisper finished, �I never should have left in the first place�. What can I do?
Van is� happy, he doesn�t want me here� but I can�t go back. I don�t know what
to do, Merle. Every time I�m around, something bad happens� I don�t want
anything to happen to the people of this world� or to Van�.� The only noise in
the room was Merle shifting around in her seat, then she spoke up again,

�Do you really think he�s happy? Do
really think he wants to marry that� girl? How can you say that when you know
it�s not true, when you�ve seen the pain in his eyes. He hides it well, nobody else
can see it except for me� but I know you can see it�you can see everything�.
Which is why I don�t understand why you�re just giving up!� Merle stood and
stomped her foot down with a huff, and glared at Hitomi in irritation. Hitomi
didn�t want to believe what Merle was saying to be true� but deep down inside
she knew it was, just like when Folken and Varie had spoken to her and said
nearly the same things. I don�t want to
think about it because every time I do, it hurts� but I know what they�re
saying is true and I can�t just sit back and do nothing� it�s just� so hard not
to. But if Merle is even saying he�s unhappy� then I guess I have to do
something� but what? [4]

�But I don�t know what to do�.�
Hitomi repeated truthfully. Merle�s demeanor softened and relaxed slightly at
Hitomi�s heartbroken confession and she was about to move and comfort the girl
when a servant arrived with their supper. Hitomi was confused�how did she know
to bring food? Then Hitomi remembered Merle stopping a servant on their way
back to her rooms. Oh, I see� When
the girl left and Hitomi and Merle were busy filling themselves with the
delicious food, Hitomi muttered kindly,

�Thank you Merle� for everything.�
Merle just raised an eyebrow and continued eating, but the gleam in her eyes
spoke volumes beyond what words could have said and Hitomi could just hear the
cat-girl�s lingering words, �Just don�t screw it up.�

Hitomi vowed she wouldn�t, no
matter what.

*�� .��
*�� .�� *��
.�� *

~tbc~

[1] ��The complete annihilation of both Earth and Gaea�� This is very similar to the vision
Hitomi always had in the series where everything was falling apart around her.

[2] �� Escaflowne brought me here� maybe it can
send me home� like before.� Escaflowne did bring Hitomi to Gaea the first time�if it
hadn�t, she would have gone straight to the Mystic
Valley like her grandmother did.
The reason she arrived in Fanelia (even though the energist was gone) is
because�. Well, you�ll just have to wait for that. ^_~ Don�t wanna go spoiling
anything for everyone.

[3] �Hitomi kneeled
before the great stone slab and brought her hands together in prayer.� Japanese
prayer�not American.

[4] �But if Merle is even saying he�s unhappy�� This
is more part of the whole conversation they were having, but the point of
Hitomi saying it like that is because, especially if Merle is telling her to
not give up, it�s important because Merle and Hitomi never really did get along
and even if they are friends now, there�s still that lingering jealously�Merle�s
just picking the lesser of two evils in this instance.�
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