Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon's Future ❯ Runaway ( Chapter 4 )

Unfortunately, Yukari's penchant for trouble-making remains in full force.  Never content to leave well-enough alone, she manages to go from bad to worse just when things ought to be looking up.

Chapter 3: Runaway

Hitomi gave birth to a little girl just after sunset.  There were no complications, and Hitomi seemed just as relieved to have Yukari back safely as she was to be done with her pregnancy.  When Yukari was finally allowed to see her mother and the baby, Hitomi made Yukari sit next to her on the bed so she could give her a long hug.

"I'm so thankful you weren't hurt, my dear," she said.  "I was so worried."

"I'm sorry, Mother," Yukari answered.  "I don't know what happened.  We just went for a walk in the forest and the dragon attacked us."

"I know.  Your father told me it was a rogue dragon."

"I guess so."  Yukari frowned unhappily and Hitomi stroked her hair.

"Don't dwell on it, Yukari.  Do you want to hold your new sister?"

"Yes!"  Yukari hopped off the bed and went to the bassinet.  The baby was sleeping, so Yukari picked her up very carefully, cradling the tiny body in her arms.  "She's so small."  She grinned at her mother.  "She's got hair just like Amano."

"Indeed she does."  Hitomi smiled lovingly at her daughters.  "What do you think of the name Bethany?"

"That's very pretty!"  Yukari snuggled her nose against the baby's face.  "Hello, little Bethany!  Welcome to Fanelia!"  The baby had a wonderful smell and Yukari held her against her cheek.  "I wonder if I'll ever have a baby."

"I used to wonder that myself," Hitomi replied.  "Before I returned, I didn't think so."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to marry your father and I didn't think I would ever be able to return to Gaia."

Yukari kept her eyes on Bethany's sleeping face.  "Was it really that important to you?"

"It meant everything to me.  I love your father very much."

"You must be very happy."

"I am."

Yukari looked up at Hitomi.  "I'm sorry I make your life difficult, Mother.  I really don't mean to."

Hitomi smiled at her.  "You don't make my life difficult, sweetheart, just challenging, sometimes."  Bethany squirmed in Yukari's arms, made a face and began to whimper.  Hitomi leaned forward.  "She's probably hungry.  Getting born is hard work all around."

Yukari handed the baby to her mother and Hitomi settled back, tucking Bethany to her breast so she could nurse.

"You'd better go have your dinner, too, Yukari."

"Yes, mother.  Good night."

"Good night, dear."

- - - - - - - -

Bethany was a good baby.  She hardly ever cried.  Yukari had hoped that a good baby would take everyone's mind off her.  Unfortunately, what it did was leave everyone with plenty of time to think about how Bethany had come into the world.  Despite Van's assertion that the dragon had been a rogue, people still speculated that Yukari and Darvi must have done something to provoke it.  Every where she went, Yukari felt like people were talking about her, blaming her for causing the death of the dragon.

Seven days after Bethany's birth, Yukari retreated to the roof above her bedroom, where she huddled beside the chimney with her arms wrapped around her knees.  Darvi found her there after an hour or so.  He climbed up to sit next to her without saying a word.

Yukari sniffed unhappily.  "Everyone says it's my fault Father had to kill the dragon."

"What do they know?" Darvi shrugged.  "They weren't there."

"But maybe it was my fault!  What if I hadn't said I wanted to see it?  What if I hadn't stood up?"  She began to cry.

Darvi put his arm around her shoulders.  "It wasn't your fault, Yukari.  Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise.  I was there.  Listen to me."

She lifted her face to his.  "I heard someone say it was bad luck to keep the energist in the castle."

Darvi laughed.  "There's been an energist in the castle for over twenty years!  Where do they think King Van keeps Escaflowne's energist?"

"That's different!"  Yukari wiped her nose on the back of her hand.

"Why?  Your father killed that dragon, too."

Yukari said nothing.  She stared across the castle rooftops toward the city.  The energist fascinated her.  Dragon energists provided the power for the giant guymelefs, like Escaflowne.  "Did you see the way it glowed when Father touched it?"

"It probably responded to his Draconian blood."

"I have Draconian blood."

Darvi grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him.  "Don't even think about it, Yukari!  You will not go looking for that energist!"

"But I know where Father put it.  I overheard him telling Mother."

"Absolutely not!"  Darvi shook her.  "You'll get in trouble.  Do you want to be separated from me?"

"No!"

"Then promise me you won't try to touch that energist."

"All right."  But Yukari was lying.  She really wanted to see if the energist would respond to her touch, the way it had responded to her father.  No one would know.  She would just sneak in, touch it and sneak out.  Not even Darvi had to know.

- - - -

Van was never in his study during the two hours right before sunset.  That was when he went to the dojo to train.  Even though Fanelia had been at peace with her neighbors for over twenty years, he never missed a day.  Therefore, Yukari was not too concerned about getting caught when she snuck into his study to look for the energist late that afternoon.  She was more concerned about ditching Darvi for the short period of time it would take to perform her clandestine task.  She had overheard her father say he had put the drag-energist in the small chest in his study.  She knew exactly where that chest was, and where he kept the key.

Yukari intended to hold the energist for only a moment, just to see if it responded to her as it had to Van.  But once she held that glowing red orb in her hand, she simply could not put it back.  She could feel the energy pulsing through it, the incredible power that awakened guymelefs.  It awakened something inside her, too; something that made her feel that there were things just beyond her reach, just out of sight, that if she could only grasp them, would answer all her questions.  Feeling a terrible guilt, Yukari slipped the energist into the pocket of her dress and re-locked the chest.  Then she put the key away and quietly crept out.

- - - - - - - -

Yukari was consumed by guilt.  She sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed in complete darkness, staring at the half-seen lump of the drag-energist.  It was dark at the moment because she wasn't touching it, but it glowed faintly whenever she picked it up.  It also filled her with a strange sense of expanded awareness when she held it.  It almost felt like she could see through walls.  Yukari was ashamed of herself.  She shouldn't have this thing, but she was afraid to return it.  If she got caught now, she could never explain it.  Her parents would never trust her again.  She couldn't even face Darvi.  He would be ashamed of her, too, and disappointed because she had lied to him.  Tears began to slide down her cheeks.  There was nothing she could do to make this right.  She had really messed up this time.

Well, it was her mistake, and she was not going to take Darvi down with her.  She slid off the bed and opened the trunk resting at the foot.  She rummaged through it until she found a small leather pouch and her knapsack.  Crawling back onto the bed, she quickly placed the energist in the leather pouch, pulling the drawstring tightly closed and knotting it.  Then she tucked the pouch in the bottom of the knapsack.  It took her only a few moments to add a few more personal items to the knapsack, and then she changed into her sturdiest traveling dress.  It was sleeveless, so she grabbed her cloak as well.  Carrying her cloak and knapsack, she padded out onto her balcony in her bare feet and looked up at the sky.

The Mystic Moon hung low in the sky, casting the city into deep shadow.  That was good.  She could fly over the sentries' heads with only the stars to show her silhouette.  She tied her cloak around her neck and flung the sides back behind her shoulders.  Holding the knapsack to her chest, she slipped her arms through the straps so it would hang in front of her.  Taking a deep breath, she put her wings out and leaped into the air.  She flapped half a dozen times to gain altitude and then settled into a glide, flying silently across the castle rooftops and out over the city.  The sentries never looked up.

It's better this way, she told herself as she flew beyond the city and above the forest.  Now I won't be such a bother to everyone.  But she nevertheless felt a terrible pang of regret at leaving her family and Darvi.  She hoped they would not be angry with her for too long.