Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Dream Desire ❯ The Path to Take ( Chapter 10 )

Wow, it’s been over a year since I started this thing. ^_^ It seems appropriate that it took me somewhat over a year to finish my first multi-chapter fic. I’ve gotten a lot more support for this thing than I thought I would, so thank you everyone who is reading Dream Desire! This would have been out sooner, but then my computer’s hardrive had a. . . thing. I backed up all my work so I wasn’t worried about losing it, but I don’t own another computer so I couldn’t continue until things were kosher. Well, this is the big climax part you’ve all been waiting for, so I hope you enjoy!

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Dream Desire: Chapter 10
The Path to Take

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“She loves you, you know. She asked me to tell you that she loves you no matter what.”

If Van heard, he made no response, just continued looking into the dark depths of the between world. Folken sighed and stepped closer to his brother.

“If it were up to me, I would create a paradise for all of you free of pain and suffering,” he said in a low voice. Van made a noise of discontent and turned to face his brother’s spirit.

“You tried that, remember? And it ended up causing pain and suffering anyway, didn’t it,” he replied and Folken was once again reminded of his past crimes working to change fate with Dornkirk. “There is no paradise for me, I know that,” Van added in a soft voice, then clenched his fist tightly, “but I belong nowhere without Hitomi. I know that now too.”

“It has already been decided,” Folken said, repeating the thought he had said to the others. The spirit waited tensely, wings quivering in anticipation. Folken met his brother’s stare and held it, giving him neither hope nor despair in the gaze, simply waiting. Van swallowed and squared his shoulders, readying himself to fight.

“I don’t care what she thinks she decided, I’m not going back without her.” His hand itched to draw a sword. If the only way he could see Hitomi again was to defeat his brother. . . he would do it. He’d been willing to do it before, and though he knew the truth about his brother now, he’d go against him again if it meant he could be with Hitomi.

“Would you make the decision even knowing that Gaea would be destroyed by your choice?” Van’s dark eyes almost backed down at the question, but he refused to look away from Folken, refused to give up. His breathing deepened, chest heaving and muscles tense, but he never backed down.

“I-” Van’s voice cracked and he stopped, cleared his throat, and tried again. “Even if it meant Gaea would be destroyed I still want to be with her.” Van stepped back quickly when Folken moved towards him, but the younger man halted in his action when he saw the relieved smile on the spirit’s face. Folken reached out and embraced Van, holding his brother close for the brief time his incorporeal form would let him. Van looked confused as Folken pulled back, radiating a calm aura and happier than Van had seen him since he was a very young boy.

“I believed in you Van, now you must make sure Hitomi believes in you too. I will send you to her, but it is up to the both of you to figure out the path your destiny will take. Good luck, my brother.” Folken raised his hand in farewell and faded away. Van wanted to stop his brother, hold him back and speak with him more, be with him now that he finally had the chance. He desperately reached a hand out to grasp his brother’s, but everything faded before they could touch. When he could focus again Van was in a place he’d never been before with tears running down his face.

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Hitomi had been feeling off all day. She had gone to her classes, took notes, ate lunch with her friends from college, trained for the track meet the next day and went home exhausted. It was a normal day, but something was missing. She had scoured her planner and calendars for any plans made that she had maybe forgotten but found the slate clean. She had even called her parents and asked them if she had forgotten a birthday or something, but if she had it wasn’t one they were aware of. Hitomi hated feeling there was something terribly important that she just could not remember. Sighing deeply after finishing off a bottle of water, Hitomi threw the plastic in her recycling pile and stripped out of her track clothes, leaving a trail leading to her bedroom. She slipped on a nightshirt and some flannel pants before collapsing onto her bed.

She immediately sat up again at the sharp pain against her chest. Huffing in annoyance Hitomi grasped the pendant lying on her skin and lifted the necklace off her neck, setting it down on the dresser next to the bed. Flopping down again she pulled a light blanket over her form and stared into space, relaxing herself so she could fall into sleep easier. Her gaze was drawn to the necklace she had taken off and she stared at the purple stone, eyes slowly unfocusing and falling shut. As they closed Hitomi almost thought she saw the piece of jewelry glowing and smiled at the idea before sleep claimed her.

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It was warm, this dream space. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, a nostalgic and peaceful air filling her lungs and settling through her body. She was floating in an ever shifting rainbow of colors, green merging with blue before changing to a deep red. The colors kept changing and swirling around her while she watched. For some reason she was wearing her old high school uniform, but it felt right she should have it on, matched the mood.

She had never had a dream quite like this where nothing happened. In fact, she rarely dreamed at all, but there was no sense of danger or wariness in her dream world so she just let the colors go about their business and twirled around in the landscape. The peace was wiped away when she saw another figure coming up behind her. He was coming at her fast. Hitomi scrambled to get away, somehow change their collision path, but the other figure would not be denied. She could see raven hair and wide open arms before she was grabbed and embraced tightly. Her pulse pounded against her chest as the man held her close, his breath huffing across her ear and neck, his fingers digging in tightly. She tensed up frozen against his desperate grip. Was this a nightmare after all? Or just a strange representation of her dream desire? The man struck a chord of familiarity but she couldn’t place from where. Too afraid to relax, Hitomi just let the man hold her and whisper her name.

The man must have noticed her reaction to him, or lack of one, and pulled away though he still kept his hands on her shoulders, his elbows bent so they were close, face to face. His eyes bored into hers intensely and she caught her breath at the deep crimson that seemed to know her so well.

“Hitomi.” It was one simple word, only her name, but it made something inside Hitomi swell up and push against her heart. She took in a sharp breath and clutched at her chest, breaking eye contact with the mysterious boy in bittersweet pain. His grip on her shoulders tightened and he repeated her name again, panicked. The pain got worse and she struggled, twisting back and forth until the dark haired man let go.

“Stop! Who are you?” she called out desperately, gazing at him again with eyes full of fear. The feeling inside her was overwhelming. Hitomi couldn’t decide if it was bad or not, but every time he said her name the warm bubble pushed out even more. This was a very strange dream, she had never felt this way before, and certainly not for a person she’d never met. Or. . . had she met him? There was a pull in the very back of her mind leading her back to his arms, to lean against his warm chest and listen to his heart beat.

If this was only a dream anyway, what could be the harm in surrendering to the feeling in her chest. He looked so lost when she pulled away, his hands were still open and reaching.

“You. . . Hitomi you don’t remember me? It’s me! Van! Hitomi you have to remember. I came here for you so we could be together, Gaea be damned. Say you remember. Say you’ll stay with me.”

“Gaea? I don’t. . .” the name gave her a headache which only got worse when she tried to dig harder. The same happened when she thought of Van. Why did he seem so familiar even though her mind drew a blank at remembering. She wavered, very much wanting to simply fall into his embrace and say she’d stay with him, no matter who he was. But something wasn’t right. If her head was trying to warn her against him and this Gaea there had to be a reason. She wasn’t supposed to remember, something bad would happen. Something she loved would be destroyed. Something or someone. . .

“It’s all right if you don’t remember. I’ll make you remember. We love you Hitomi, and you love us — we shouldn’t be separated like this,” he told her, a hopeful gleam entering his gaze. He drew her to him again, arms wrapped around her waist, until their foreheads touched. She could feel his breath on her lips and the swelling in her chest spread throughout her body, freezing her own breath. She let out a strangled whimper and tried to push away again but this time he didn’t let go.

“No. No! Something’s wrong. You aren’t supposed to be here. This isn’t right. You have to leave or. . . or. . .”

“I’m not leaving you again.” He said it with such conviction that her throat locked up and no further argument could come forth. She fought with herself. It felt so good in his arms, her heart demanded she stay. Her mind, though, told a different story. It screamed of danger and regret, hurt and suffering. Millions would be at war and die if she remembered the warm scent and strong embrace of the man in front of her. She had already made her choice, this wasn’t fair!

“I made the decision to let go! Please, don’t do this!” she begged, refusing to look him in the eye. Fragments were coming back even though she frantically tried to push them away. “Gaea. . .will perish. . .” It was Gaea or her happiness, and the choice had been made! Van couldn’t come back and destroy what she had given up her dreams to save. Van? How did she know his name? A caress across her cheek drew her gaze back to his, only half against her will. He was smiling now, a soft gentle tilt of lips.

“There is another way. Damn the choices Folken gave, there’s another solution and that’s why I’m here.” He used both hands to hold her face level to his. “I love you.” She whimpered at the intense feeling in his eyes. “Come back to Gaea with me.” Van kissed her then, slowly letting his lips bring back the memory lost between them. He kept a constant pressure on her mouth, not demanding but always there, waiting for her. A myriad of thoughts and memories unlocked and flooded Hitomi’s mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back. Passion bloomed and Van released her face to hold her body close. The pair became lost in the embrace for what seemed like hours, both remembering why they loved each other and the power that love held. After an eternity of joy they separated, neither moving far away from the other. They floated in silence relearning how to breath. Finally, Hitomi spoke.

“Is it really possible? Can I go back to Gaea?” she asked quietly, afraid of the answer. Folken had not mentioned that as a choice and she had just assumed it was not possible. Of course after seeing what people from the Mystic Moon did to Gaea she could understand why. Hitomi’s grandmother had torn Allen’s family apart. Dornkirk — Isaac Newton — had created an empire that could over power any other. Hitomi herself had made horrible possibilities a reality thanks to her negative prophecies. Was it really safe to go back?

“We’ll make it possible. I love you and you love me. With that, *anything* is possible. Will you stay with me and be my queen?” Van had faith in her. He had come here to her dreams and made her remember even though it could cost Gaea any chance of peace it had. He had come because he loved her and believed in their love. Now it was her turn to repay that faith. True she would be giving up a lot by leaving Earth, but Van and the others would make her sacrifice worth it. She loved her family and friends on Earth, but she needed to be with those on Gaea. This whole escapade had taught her that. Now Van was waiting with an anxious heart for her answer. Would she go to Gaea with him? Would she stay by him forever? Her sudden smile and bright eyes quelled any fear he had.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

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Tadaa! I FINALLY got it out. But this isn’t the end! For you oh-so-patient readers I have already written up the epilogue and will post it within a day of this as a reward for waiting so long. Thank you all so very much for reading a fic that was a few “firsts” for me. First chapter fic. First het fic (I usually write shounen ai). First fic over 10k words. And judging by all your kind reviews I guess it didn’t turn out so bad. Again, thank you for supporting and encouraging me and stay tuned for the epilogue!
-Mako3