Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Beyond the Moon ❯ Communications ( Chapter 14 )

Okay, so no lemon, but a good deal of fluff. There's some more questionable stuff, but you know what... it's the reader's risk. :P This is an insanely fluffy chapter... Not much happens beside.. fluff. ^________^

Beyond the Moon

Fourteen

Hitomi entered the bedroom she had been assigned to once more, sitting down on the bed. Her servant woman opened the wardrobe, withdrawing a long, pearly gown.

"Please don't tell me it's a nightgown," Hitomi muttered, gazing at the feathery white garment. The woman looked around uneasily, not sure how to respond.

"It's.. uh.. not a nightgown.. it's a.. gown for sleeping in?" she tried, glancing at her nervously. Hitomi merely chuckled.

"What's your name?" Hitomi asked, getting up to take the dress from the flustered servant. The doppelganger shifted uncomfortably. "Take off your hood. You don't have to be so formal," Hitomi chided, smiling. The woman removed her shadowing garment and nodded respectfully.

"Zuga," she responded, bowing. Hitomi smiled, and to Zuga's surprise, bowed back.

"This gown," Hitomi began, holding up the spaghetti-strapped, smooth garment. "Why are all these clothes here? I know they weren't brought here just for me." Zuga nodded, looking back at the wooden wardrobe as she began to loosen Hitomi's hair beads.

"The emperor was the master of Hudogar before he died," the doppelganger said, jangling some of the intricate green and black beads in her long-fingered hand. "His lady was like you in many ways." Hitomi swished her hair a bit, letting it fall freely around her neck and shoulders.

Zuga walked to the door, turning back to Hitomi. "Everything in this room is yours, use anything you'd like. I'll be back in one hour so you can get settled and rest up a bit, and I'll bring you your bag when I return," the woman informed her, walking out and closing the door quietly behind her.

Hitomi turned back to the wall, removing the self-standing mirror from behind the tapestry. She stripped down to her lacy bra and panties, making a little disgusted sound at them. They had been washed just before she and Van departed from the Schezar estate, and were now dirty and clung to her skin.

Hitomi took them off as well, tossing them dejectedly to the floor before slipping on the gown. The silky fabric slid across her smooth, pale skin, caressing her soft curves. Hitomi flopped on her bed, drawing some of the thick, lattice-patterned quilt around her and imagined herself in the warm embrace of Van's strong, protective arms. She sighed, letting her mind wander away from everything except her and Van.

Unconsciously, Hitomi took the pendant hanging around her neck in her hand, rubbing the now bright red jewel between her thumb and forefinger.

I hope Hitomi's alright. She jolted up, staring around the room with wide eyes for an intruder. Blinking, Hitomi realized the voice was familiar.

"Van?" she called. There was no response. Hitomi held the pendant closer, and the voice became louder and clearer.

If Dilandau hurt her, I'll... She was overcome with a wave of hatred, an inexplicable rush of adrenaline and the need to kill.

It was Van... In her head. Hitomi traveled back to the end of the Destiny War, when she had made contact with Van through his mind. He had been so absorbed in anger and hate that she had almost lost him to Scheherazade's overpowering blade.

Van? Hitomi called, her mind's voice echoing in her head. She began to walk through the black abyss, searching for him.

With a voice constrained between disbelief and curiosity, Hitomi heard a response. Hitomi? Is that you?

Yes! Van, it's me! Where are you? Hitomi called, the sudden appearance of a lightly hued shape answering her question. The shape rose, its black hair and tan skin only faintly hued by an invisible light source. Van looked up, his eyes widening.

Hitomi! What's going on? Where are we? Pausing, he merely stared as Hitomi ran closer. Or better, where are you?

***

Van watched in silent shock as a gorgeous, green-eyed, brown-haired woman ran towards him. She wore nothing but a silky white gown, which was held up by two thin straps and clung to her practically naked body in all the right places.

He shook it off as Hitomi suddenly flew into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her head into his chest. Van blinked, then slowly raised his hand and patted her hair. Where were they? How was this happening? One minute, he was riding sullenly behind Allen on a horse, the next, he was in a black dream world. That's what it was. He probably fainted from exhaustion and was now sleeping.

But the feeling of Hitomi clutching him so dearly was definitely real.

I'm fine, she said, her voice not coming from her mouth, but rather echoing in his head. Prince Chid... doppelgangers... Hitomi trailed off, looking up at him with wide, emerald eyes. They had only been separated for a day at most, but he had already begun to miss her greatly.

Van suddenly returned her embrace, pulling her closely to his chest. He wore nothing under his torn red jacket, and a wound dressing was wrapped around his arm. Still slightly baffled by the whole situation, a memory of something like it happening before came back to him. Choosing not to dwell on it, Van merely held her closer, stroking her hair in assurance.

Where are you? Hitomi asked, reluctantly drawing away from him. Van sighed, still keeping one arm protectively around her waist.

Allen found me in the forest... It's a really long story. I hurt my arm pretty badly, he motioned to his bound up wound, and Allen took me to Palas. One of the maids there must have been crazy or something, because she kept telling me to leave and the like. Out of the blue, Allen came and rescued me. Van's voice became distasteful, and he was obviously annoyed at having to be rescued twice by his rival knight. He got in a fight with that guard who greeted us when we arrived in Palas. We had to escape.

Hitomi's eyes grew gradually wider, and one of her hands found its way to the hem of his jacket and now squeezed it in anticipation. When Van stopped talking, Hitomi looked at her bare feet thoughtfully.

I was.. not exactly captured, per say.. but taken by two doppelgangers. Van had a sharp intake of breath, his eyes focusing on Hitomi's face. They didn't hurt me. In fact, they were very different from Zongi. One of them, a kind woman, told me he was some kind of renegade. They took me to a palace called... Hitomi blinked to remember. Hudogar. It's visible from the ocean shore just outside of Palas. Prince... King Chid rules here now.

Van looked up, slowly absorbing the information. Then you're okay? You're not being held hostage? he demanded, his voice sounding dangerous. Hitomi shook her head.

I just held conference with Chid. He said something about the power of Atlantis re-emerging... The light in the pendant has gone out, and then glows double what it did before when I touch it. Hitomi looked at Van's face, which had relaxed somewhat. She traced one finger along his jaw, drawing his eyes back to her.

I miss you, she said quietly, kissing his cheek softly. Van grinned lopsidedly, pulling her into another warm embrace.

We'll be coming for you, he said, kissing the top of her head before she tilted her jaw upwards again. Before she could respond, he brushed her lips with his.

Hitomi grabbed the chance, her hands swiftly traveling from his waist to his neck, wrapping around him. She pulled him in for a closer kiss, almost hungrily tracing her tongue along his lips. A bit flustered by her actions, Van opened his mouth to allow her access. Just as quickly, he traveled across, exploring her mouth with his tongue.

And suddenly, she was gone.

Van jolted up, opening his eyes. He was still sitting upright, his arms lightly grasping the back of the saddle. Allen continued to sit unaffectedly in front of him, the horse trotting along at a swift, bouncy gait.

"Allen." The knight looked back, Van's intent gaze barely registering in his distant mind. "I know where Hitomi is."

***

The two riders were nearing the hill onto the plateau, and Dilandau was eager to get there and foster a view of the land. He almost jumped out of the saddle when he heard a loud rumble.

Looking around, Dilandau glanced down when Celena cleared her throat.

"Was that you?" he asked, furrowing his brow. She glanced up, her face turning a bright red.

"I'm starving," she replied with embarrassment. Dilandau furrowed his brow, swallowing. He wouldn't admit it, but he had built up a good appetite as well. "I haven't eaten since dinner last night," Celena continued, looking down.

"We don't have a thing to eat," he replied. Celena looked up, her blue eyes wide and her nose scrunched up.

"But I'm hungry! Can't we find some berries or something?" she asked, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. Dilandau sighed, reining in the horse.

"I might be able to catch a rabbit or something. We'd have to start a fire and everything, though," he said skeptically, nodding at the sword at his side. Celena nodded and smiled.

"I can make a fire! Jajuka taught me how," she said delightedly, practically springing from the surprised horse. Sure enough, the sun had begun to wane and only a sliver of its fiery color could be seen over the mountaintops. Dilandau sighed, climbing off as well. He tied the creature to a tree, giving the sorrel some room to graze.

"We'll camp here then," he announced, examining the grassy area. It was shielded by a large, overhanging mountain, and their movement away from the falls had reduced the immense noise radiating from them. The forest began not far back, and would allow for some kind of hunting. Dilandau was sure that if he didn't manage to find something, Celena would whine the night away. He wasn't sure he would deal well without something to eat either for very long.

Stalking away without a word, Dilandau left Celena to her job. She quickly set about gathering up some sticks and branches, piling them up. She then created a small circle with rocks, ripping out some of the grass in the middle. Walking up to a group of pine-like trees, she took a few handfuls of pine needles and put them on the bottom layer in her rock circle.

When she had completed a funny-looking structure with her sticks, she found a needle and two well-shaped branches and began to rub away.

Dilandau walked silently through the trees, his boots making hardly a sound on the forest floor. He proceeded up the hill towards the rocks, when a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Taking out his sword, Dilandau peered through the trees where the creature had moved.

Nibbling some bark off the tree was a small deer-like creature, whose stomach was broad from stockpiling all during the summer. It had small horns, which had obviously fallen off not long before. This would be an easy catch.

Springing from his spot in hiding, Dilandau slashed his sword to one side of the startled animal. It turned away from the silver blade, only to meet headfirst with a fiery-eyed albino. He grabbed its back leg, cleanly burying his blade into the creature's chest. It stumbled forward, toppling to the ground with the sword still embedded in it.

Celena looked up as the trees ruffled, a small fire crackling just beside the hill. The light had almost completely faded, and it cast a little orange glow on her. Dilandau stepped out from the forest, dragging a bloody animal behind him.

Celena let out a squeal, jumping back to where the horse still grazed silently. Dilandau raised one eyebrow, dropping the dead carcass in front of the fire.

"If you don't like it," Dilandau muttered, kneeling down beside the creature and putting the tip of his sword into the throat, "then don't watch. Go get a long, thick stick for me." Celena nodded hastily, quickly running off into the woods. Dilandau let out a slight chuckle. She was so scared of blood and death, it was surprising she lasted so long inside his mind, and vice versa.

At the thought, he let out a sigh. Dragging his sword down the animal's stomach, he slowly removed the major bones and organs. He kabob-ed the heart and liver, setting them off to one side as he picked up the spine and ribcage, carrying the bones far away from the fire so the scavengers wouldn't bother them as they slept.

Dilandau then removed the legs and head, also keeping them a good distance from their camp. Celena came out of the trees, uneasily handing him a thick, sharpened stick. He silently nodded his thanks, removing some of the skin before spearing the body and holding it over the fire.

Celena, drawn by the smell, gradually moved closer to the crackling warmth. She rubbed her hands together, occasionally looking up at Dilandau's heat-flushed face as he continued to turn the heavy rotisserie. They waited in silence for what seemed an eternity, until Dilandau removed the golden-brown meat from over the fire and held it above the ground.

Carefully tearing off a bit of the plump, rare meat, he speared it onto a smaller stick and handed it to a wide-eyed Celena. She cautiously took it, taking a bite only when Dilandau had already begun to eat.

"Juicy," she commented, tearing off a bit of skin and flicking it at him. Dilandau glared at her in disgust, and she chuckled. "I like it, better than that rock and loin stuff the cooks at home make." The albino merely let out a "mm" between his large bites, and Celena set the clean-licked stick on the ground when she was done.

The fire slowly began to die down, and Celena piled on a few more sticks she had gathered as Dilandau finished up. He disposed of the rest of the meat, tossing it to where he had put the bones and legs. He would rather not have Celena stumble upon them, so he kicked them farther across the grassy area. Dilandau could already see yellow eyes closely examining the leftover meat. No one would go hungry tonight.

Sitting back down beside the fire, Dilandau discovered Celena to already be lying down, shuffling with annoyance on the scratchy grass-covered ground. He sighed, walking over and sitting down beside her.

"Roll over," he commanded. Celena looked up, but did as she was told. He took off his jacket, setting it on the ground and flopping down on it. "Come back." She rolled back over, suddenly finding herself in incredibly close proximity with him. Unalarmed, Dilandau pulled the sleeve of his jacket around her, carefully drawing each side of the frayed black coat together.

He pulled her into an embrace, causing a bright red heat to color her cheeks. Celena cleared her throat a bit, drawing a slight chuckle from Dilandau. "You want to stay warm or not?" he asked, compensating for her fidgeting by tightening his grasp playfully.

"Of course!" she replied, wrinkling her nose as she looked up. He smirked, his fingers unconsciously playing with the seam on the back of her dress.

Dilandau's face suddenly became serious, Celena almost shrinking back as his red eyes bore into her. "Celena," he said, his voice slightly lower. She nodded. "I.. I'll never be able to make up for what I did." Celena gave him a bewildered look. "For taking off, for breaking my promise."

She smiled, her bright blue eyes reflecting the waning firelight. "But you came back. You didn't break your promise," she replied, sighing contentedly against his chest. Dilandau furrowed his brow. How could she be so forgiving? It didn't make sense. She had no reprove, no scolding, no hatred for him at all.

"How can you not be angry at me?" he asked in confusion, slightly drawing back from her. Celena looked up again, fingering his white undershirt thoughtfully.

"I don't see why I would be... But Dilandau.." she cut herself off, her brow creasing. "I've been a part of you for years. I feel like... I feel like I understand you. I know why you left, and I don't see a reason for me to be angry about it. Because ever since I was little..." She paused again, looking up.

Dilandau pursed his lips together, mentally willing her to go on. He knew it, he thought it, he felt it.. and now he wanted to hear it. No matter how she meant it, Dilandau wanted the words to flow from her lips.

"Because I love you." Celena looked down shyly after her confession, pulling her arms away from him and crossing them over her chest. Dilandau let a small smile reach his lips, and to her surprise, he drew her into an immense embrace.

"Celena, we were a part of each other for so long. Even for a time, I wanted to be rid of you, to be able to live without the small light that you were in my black heart," he said, his voice quiet and husky. Celena's face fell, but a small, genuine smile from him raised her spirits once more. "And now that we are apart, I can't live without you."

Celena suddenly buried her face in his chest, breathing deeply of his scent. A little surprised at first, Dilandau wrapped his arms around her once more.

She looked up, running one finger along his jaw. The albino blinked, his face contorting a bit in confusion. He wasn't used to a woman's touch, especially affectionate ministrations on his perfect face. Celena traced the scar on his cheek, suddenly raising her lips to it and brushing them across it. Dilandau's eyes widened, his heart beginning to beat faster in his chest as her mouth traveled from his cheek to the corner of his lips.

"Celena.." he began, looking at her. She merely placed one finger on his lips, her own soft rubies moving to replace it. She felt his hot, slightly quickening breath on her mouth as her heart began to pound harder in her chest. Her stomach was alive with butterflies, but her almost experienced advances would show differently.

Dilandau slowly closed his mouth, his eyelids lowering to match hers. Without warning, he brushed his lips upon Celena's, his arms tightly wrapping around her waist. She responded similarly, pressing her mouth slightly more urgently against his.

A kiss. Something offered by many of the female fighters to Dilandau while he was a general, and often other more serious offers were made as well. Despite his hormones, the albino had never wanted to take any of them up on it, and had made sure to show no interest in any of the women who confronted him.

Celena, even in the eight years on her own after the war, had never shown any interest in men. This didn't bother her brother, of course, but she had often felt a tinge of loneliness. Until Dilandau resurfaced, that is.

But the one, simple action, a kiss, had sealed the void. The one thing that had evaded both of them, left them both with an inexplicable emptiness, was fulfilled by the person they each least expected.

Celena slowly drew away, leaving Dilandau's lips with one sweep of her tongue. Without a word, he drew her closer to himself, sighing contentedly and running one hand through her soft - albeit a little tangled - white hair. Celena sighed against his chest, a comfortable warmth filling her body as she closed her eyes. Resting in a small cocoon of each other's protective embraces, the two drifted off to a deep, restoring slumber.