Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Blood In Her Hands ❯ A Dark Personage ( Chapter 4 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Vision of Escaflowne.. However, the new/added characters and places in this fanfic that were not mentioned in the animated series are products of my imagination.. Any relation to real people/places is purely accidental..

 

 

In the last chapter, Hitomi was attacked by a stranger. He followed her to her house where she was raped.

 

 

Hitomi woke up in an instant. She searched the room for the man and found out that it was just that stupid dream again. Since then she was always afraid to close her eyes, scared that when she open them she will see him standing above her with knife in both hands. She shivered at the moment that he entered her body. He didn't stop until she was bathing in her own blood.

 

“Where am I?” She asked herself when she noticed the peculiar ambience of the room she was in. The bed was made with silk sheets and the drapes on the big windows looked expensive. The furniture was antique-looking and elegant in the same way. Judging from the walls and portraits, this must be a castle. Now, why will she be in a castle at this time? Hitomi got up and walked to the balcony. It was already night, she must have slept all day. Hitomi closed her eyes and let the cold wind play with her hair. She had grown it long, having no time to tend herself after what had happened in her life. She lost her family, her friends, her soul… her life. Nothing mattered to her but revenge to the people who brought her hell. The only thing that kept her sane was the gift her family gave her on her birthday. It was a kodaci. She figured it out when she saw one displayed on a store one afternoon. From then on, she trained herself with her weapon, vowing to herself that she won't be again harmed by anyone. She would rather die before anyone treats her like some wretched thing. Gone were those days. A new Hitomi was born.

There was a knock on the door and it instantly jerked Hitomi to full defense. She hid behind the corner of the room where the window drapes meet and waited for the person or persons to show themselves.

“Hitomi? Are you awake?” asked the male voice. The sound of the footsteps ended and a blinding light surrounded the room.

“Where is she?” asked another voice, this time it was a female.

“The balcony door. It's open.”

The two people went to the balcony and found nothing. They went back inside the room. Hitomi moved in closer for the kill. She grasped for her necklace and pulled out the pendant. Instantly, the pendant changed its form and turned into a kodaci.

“You didn't think she ran away?” asked the female.

The male with long blonde hair examined the room one more time. He knows I'm here. Then, he spoke to the girl who cat-like in figure. “Tell Van about this. But tell him not to alert the guards yet.” The cat girl scampered away to look for Van. Allen. Merle. Van. So I am in Gaea. What brought me here? Allen Schezar, the blonde haired man, approached her hiding place. Then he turned around, giving Hitomi the chance to attack. She unsheathed her kodaci and prepared to strike. She went out and drove her kodaci towards Allen's head but Allen had defended himself just in time. Their blades and their eyes met for a moment before Hitomi jumped away from Allen, distancing herself from him.

“Hitomi? Why are you attacking me?” asked Allen, returning his sword to its sheath. Hitomi didn't answer.

“Hitomi, please say something. Anything. We found you outside the castle gates two days ago,” said Allen.

“Allen Schezar,” said Hitomi in a deadly whisper.

Allen shivered at the icy, cold voice of Hitomi. Could this be the same Hitomi he met five years ago? What happened to the carefree, happy Hitomi? “Hitomi, maybe you should rest for now. You're still recovering.”

“Why do you care?” replied Hitomi, not taking her eyes off the blonde knight.

“I care for you,” answered Allen.

“No, you don't,” said Hitomi.

It was then that Van, Millerna and Merle entered the room. They saw Allen standing in the center of the room and Hitomi, with the kodaci still held pointed at Allen, standing in the far end of the room. Van went in between the two. Millerna and Merle followed.

“Hitomi, please drop you weapon,” asked Van. “No one in this castle will hurt or harm you in any way, I promise you that.”

“Don't promise me anything. I know better than to trust the words of other people,” said Hitomi.

“Hitomi, don't you remember us?” asked Millerna.

Hitomi sheathed her kodaci and it returned to its original form. She suspended it on a necklace. She smirked and went to Millerna's side. Van, Allen and Merle moved closer to the two.

“Oh I remember. You're Millerna, Princess of Asturia.” She then turned to Allen. “Allen Schezar, the Celestial Knight of Asturia.” She faced Merle. “You're Merle, Van's friend and family.” Lastly, she stared at Van. “King Van Fanel, Lord of Fanelia.”

“Hitomi…” whispered Van. His eyes were full of longing and Hitomi looked at him directly. Her eyes showed no emotions.

“Are-Aren't you hungry Hitomi? We have dinner prepared for you downstairs,” asked Allen.

“I am not hungry.”

“You haven't eaten for two days. Please eat…something,” said Van.

“No.”

“You hard-headed girl! Can't you see that we're worried about you?” asked Merle. She began pounding Hitomi and Allen held Merle back. Hitomi was already staring daggers with the cat girl. Millerna approached Hitomi and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Even for just a bite, Hitomi?” asked Millerna.

Hitomi lost her patience. She unsheathed her kodaci and grabbed Millerna by the neck. Hitomi held the kodaci close to Millerna's neck, threatening to slice it in half. Allen and Van moved in to rescue Millerna from Hitomi, but the sudden movement of the kodaci made them back away.

“I said no. You are getting on my nerves.” Hitomi let Millerna go and pushed her away. Allen caught her and helped her stand. Van was shocked at what he had seen in Hitomi. Merle was now thinking twice into calling her names and teasing her. Hitomi replaced her weapon to her necklace and started to walk out of the room. Van made a move to stop her but Allen shook his head.

“Let her have some time alone. She won't ran away,” said Allen. Van watched Hitomi disappeared into the darkness behind the door.

 

Hitomi wandered through the castle. She didn't care where she would end up. She just wanted to be moving at all times. She felt that if she stopped moving, somebody would be behind her. She noticed the portraits hanging on the walls, showing different people wearing clothes of royalty. The windows in the castles present star-filled sky. She kept on walking before arriving at the front doors of the castle. She opened the majestic doors and let herself out of the castle. She stepped in the cold night, and judging from the position of the moon, it was near midnight. She walked on the castle grounds with no specific place to go.

I should be going somewhere. Away from this place. But where would I go?

She lay on the ground and watched the stars. The Mystic Moon. Her world. She wondered what the two lovebirds were doing now. Yukari was just worried about her condition and she nearly killed her. No, emotions are not to be trusted. Spontaneous feelings have no logical reason behind it. The Earth gave her the worst tortures one could endure. She now saw it from a distance and somehow felt safe. But the unknown terrain that lay before her scared her a bit. Hitomi let out a heavy sigh. She just kept staring at the sky even though it started to rain. Her clothes drenched in the rain, Hitomi closed her eyes. There was no one that could touch her now. She was prepared for them. Even the nightmares were starting to stop haunting her. The rain stopped and the leaves around her twinkle in the moon light. She didn't mind the rain. She welcomed it, washing her fears and worries away. The sound a twig breaking snapped her attention.

“Show yourself. Only a coward would hide in the dark,” said Hitomi without opening her eyes.

“It's me, Van.”

Van joined Hitomi in her star gazing (even though her eyes were closed). Hitomi felt something being put on her and she opened her eyes and grabbed his hands.

“It rained a while ago and I figured that you may need these,” said Van. He was holding a blanket and a coat. Hitomi yanked his hands away and grabbed the cloths he offered. To watch a pair of hands so close to her body triggered another bad memory.

 

“Don't you like the feel of your blood on your body?”

 

“Hitomi, are you okay? Your face became pale,” asked Van. The concern was in his voice.

Hitomi was unable to answer. She was again trapped in the memory of that house back in Earth. The bedroom, the scalpel… the blood. Make it stop. Stop. She turned to Van, who was still watching her. She wanted to be comforted after what she had gone through. But her mind decided against. She wanted to tell Van everything, everything. But her anger at Van not contacting her all those time made her mind decide irrationally. She was in her cold mode again. She dumped the blanket and the coat on Van and left him there, fazed at what he had just witnessed. She ran. She walked. She stopped. Hitomi was so confused as to what she really want to do. She just wants to be alone. Yes, alone. But why does the presence of Van soothe her so?

 

“You did WHAT?” bellowed Allen.

Van shrunk as Allen scolded him for not following his advice of leaving Hitomi alone for awhile. Van saw Allen there mad, telling him something. He really didn't understand a thing Allen was saying for he was preoccupied with what he has seen in Hitomi's eyes a while ago. They were saying something to him that was in the lines of “be with me” and “don't leave me alone”. He must have interpreted wrong though. But the way the color drained from her face suggested that a bad thing had happened to her in the past. She was just not ready to talk about it. Or maybe she remembered some of it when Van joined her at the castle grounds? Van was so deep into his thoughts that he didn't noticed that Allen had just stormed out of the room.

“Where did Allen go?” asked a scratching Van.

“Van-sama, you really need something other than a scolding. Try sleeping,” answered a shrugging Merle. She too left the room. “You will pay Allen for scolding Van-sama like that!” Merle began sharpening her claws with her nail pile. Somewhere in the castle, Allen shivered.

 

“Van-sama, leaders from other lands are suggesting to have an alliance. Should we accept this offer? It would increase our defense as well as offense against enemies,” asked General Saigo. A meeting was being held in one of the thousands of rooms in the castle. Van, as King of Fanelia, is required to attend such meetings. Van was slightly thankful to have some distractions. When he's alone and doing nothing, Hitomi was all he could think about.

“Who are the leaders offering this?” asked Van, while tapping a quill into his paper.

“Freid, Asturia, and Boreal. These lands comprises the East, West and North of Gaea,” answered Saigo.

“Please schedule a meeting with these leaders for me, Tano,” requested Van to one of his advisers who nodded at once. “The place of the meeting would have to decided and discussed first, though.”

“Will the meeting be held here, My Lord?” asked Saigo. “It will be a great opportunity to open Fanelia to other lands after its rebuilding.”

Van nodded. “Yes, I think it will be good. Fanelia has got to be introduced to Gaea. Please arrange the necessary details for this meeting. Invite the leaders and their delegates to Fanelia. We will conduct a celebration as well to welcome them.”

“Yes, My Lord. We will do everything to make this meeting a success,” said the advisers and generals in unison.

“Though,” whispered Van.

“What is it, Van-sama? Is something wrong?” asked Saigo.

“I pity the cooks. There got to be a hell of feasts during the celebration,” finished Van. After staring dumbfounded, the generals and advisers bid their King and dismissed themselves. Van was left in the meeting room, still nervous about the plan of meeting with other leaders. What if I failed them? Thought such as this, occupied Van's mind until he cannot take it anymore. He banged his head on the table and cleared his mind. He's in speaking terms with Asturia and Freid, having met and joined them in battle. What he is worried about is Boreal. He have never heard anything from the North, and it was rumored to be the headquarters of the Zaibach army. But Zaibach is gone now. Van just hoped that he can please the three leaders and earn their trust and allegiance.

“Van? Are you busy at the moment?” asked Allen.

“Allen. I didn't hear you come in. Please, join me,” answered Van and ushered Allen inside the room. Together with Allen are Merle, Millerna, and Dryden. Van welcomed them all, especially Dryden, having just returned from a trip. Millerna and Dryden were together again after Dryden let Millerna go some time in the war.

“What brings you all here?” asked Van. He noticed Allen. “And what happened to your right arm Allen?'

“Nothing. Just some claws courtesy of Merle,” answered Allen, massaging the scars inflicted by Merle for scolding Van a while ago.

“It seems that Millerna may have the solution for Hitomi's condition. I hear she is not well,” said Dryden. He lit a cigar and settled in one of the seats in the room.

“I fear that Hitomi may have gone something terrible to make her like this. This memory of what had happened may not free her, occasionally haunting her like for example in her dreams. She looked like she's still not ready to talk about it; I think that the best way to cure her is to relate what had happened. It's not an easy task, but in that way we can assure Hitomi of the assurance she really need,” explained Millerna.

“So it's psychological then,” said Merle. “How do we make her explain what happened?”

“It must be done in a gentle way. She must be free and open to talk about it to help her. If she would be forced to, then we are just making the matter worse and she may never open herself again,” said Millerna.

“Takes time,” nodded Allen. “Say, Van. Why don't we invite Hitomi to the grand feast Fanelia's hosting for the leaders of Gaea?”

“I was planning to do that, but I think Hitomi may be not ready to face people,” said Van. “I mean, she was not open to us, what more if there would be numerous people she wasn't acquainted with?”

“It's a start Van. The only way to get over your fears is to face them,” answered Dryden.

“Okay. I better hope Hitomi is now in speaking terms with any one of us,” wished Van.

“Besides, you have other important matter to think Van, with ruling Fanelia and all. Don't pressure yourself on Hitomi. She'll come around,” assured Dryden.