Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Escaflowne: Breach of Faith ❯ Chapter 1

Vision of Escaflowne: Breach of Faith

Part 1

By: Amataru Arcus

Romance/Angst

Warnings: I do not own Escaflowne or the characters. I just use them in the way I want. If you don't like the way I use `em, tell me. I'll take it into thought. Also... I cannot spell. For a while there I was even spelling Escaflowne wrong. Opps... sorry >.<

Author Note: This takes place thirteen years after the last episode. If you haven't watched the whole series, I warn you there are spoilers. I suggest watching them all first, or at least learning what happens in the end.

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"Hitomi-chan! Is that you?!"

Hitomi nodded and her middle length hair followed the motion like a fan around her thin face. As her old friend ran up to her. "Yukari! I've missed you!"

Yukari rapped her arms around Hitomi tightly. "How have you been?" she let go and looked at her smiling brightly.

"I've been good, you?" Hitomi had been anticipating their school's ten year reunion for the longest time and finally she got to see all her old high school friends.

"Great! Amano and I have a house in the country! It's so hu-uge!!" she stretched out her hands in description.

Hitomi smiled back, since sophomore year the couple had been inseparable and got married a year later. The wedding had been so beautiful, white flowers every where-

"You okay?" Yukari waved her hand in front of Hitomi's blank face.

"Hm?"

"Well, your smile faded into a lonely frown."

"Oh, it's nothing! I was just remembering your wedding how beautiful it was. You looked like an angel."

"Yeah, that's what you kept saying that day too. Now come on and mingle!" she grabbed her and dragged her to a small talking group.

"Hitomi, hi!"

"Hi Hitomi-chan!"

"How are you?"

Everyone greeted Hitomi as she approached and waved to them all. "Hi minna-san. It's been so long!"

"Hai, too long!"

"You never wrote!"

"I was so busy with college and all, I had a hard time keeping up with everything."

"How'd that go?"

"It went well, I still don't know what I want to do yet. I keep jumping from job to job."

"You got a special man yet?"

"No. . ."

"Don't worry girl! There's some one out there for you! You'll met him someday!"

"Thank you."

"Hey! I've got an idea! You can read your fortune!"

"I don't do that anymore."

"I know, but one time for fun! Common!"

"I don't have any cards-"

Yukari pulled a stack out of her purse. "Here, thought you might want them."

"Yukari-chan, I don't read fortunes anymore."

"Please Hitomi?"

"Common!"

"For old time sake!!"

Hitomi reached for Yukari's deck, "For fun."

"Yeay!!"

She sat down at a near by table and started to shuffle the cards. She cut them into three stacks and collected them again.

"So what are you going to ask?"

"Will I see my true love."

"You have someone in mind?" Yukari nudged her.

"H-hai. . ." she started to place the cards on the table. "It says I'm going through changes, trying to fill something missing in my life . . . Which is-" she pulled a card from the top of the deck.

"What's the Dragon Card mean?"

"Van . . ."

"Van?" pronouncing it as in mini-'van'.

"Nothing," she continued on. "It says I will take a trip to a distant place. After the reunion I have to head back home."

"Where'd you move too?"

"She moved to America."

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's a change."

"Okay, continue Hitomi!!"

"I will face my rival there . . ."

"Whose your rival?"

"I don't know..." she pulled a card, "It says I will face a great decision. Something that will determine my fate."

"Wow, you got a lot going for you girl. And this is all because of your true love?"

She pulled another card, "I will have two roads to take," she pulled two cards, the moon card and lovers card. "I will have to chose between my emotions, and feelings."

"Wow, what would you pick then Hitomi?"

"I don't know..." she pulled out another card. "One road will lead to me being alone, and another will be-" she stared at the card.

"What is it Hitomi?"

"It's the empress. It stands for fertility and a strong family."

"Well, chose the one that leads to the empress."

"I don't know which road leads to which one. But anyway. It's just for fun!" she collected all the cards together and handed them back to Yukari. "So where is Amano?"

"On the track. He's racing the old team. I was about to go time `em. You should race too! You know no one has ever beaten your 12 second record. Maybe you can again?"

"I haven't raced since college."

"Well, it'd be fun, ne?"

"Yeah, to feel the wind against my face again." she closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"Will you?"

"Hai!"

"Great!!" she grabbed her again and dragged her outside to the track. "Amano-kun! Look who want's to take you on!!"

"Oh? Who?" he turned around at the sound of his name.

"Konichiwa Amano-sempai."

He looked at her for a second, "Kanzaki?"

"Yeah! It's her! You can't even tell it's her with that hair, ne?"

"I wanted a change. I always had my hair short for track. You like?"

"Hai! It looks great!" Amano nodded.

Hitomi blushed.

"So, you wanted to challenge me?" putting his hands on his hips.

"No, I just wanted to race for fun. I couldn't beat you. I'm out of shape."

"All right then. Yuka-chan, will you time us?"

"For old time sake!"

"Well, it's a good thing this isn't a formal reunion." she reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a hair band and tied her hair back.

"Ready?"

The two set their feet into place.

"Set!"

They leaned down and touched the cold ground.

"GO!!"

They both took off down the track.

Amano was in the lead and Hitomi was falling behind. She knew she would, but she was still disappointed in her self at how bad she had gotten. `Use everything!' She was determined not to lose. She leaned her head down further and straightened her hands more and narrowed their movement closer to her body, cutting the air into. Her muscles screamed at being used in that way, but still she pushed harder against the track. She wasn't even thinking about where Amano was, her mind was set on one place: the finishing point. Everything around her disappeared. It was just her and the track. She centered all of her attention on her body pushing on further and soon the track wasn't there. She closed her eyes concentrating all her energy now on her feet, giving them added power. She opened up her eyes-

And she stumbled.

She was in a field. And not even in the field near her alumni.

She looked towards the sky, and there it was, Earth, the Mystic Moon.

"I'm... back..." She looked around her. She remembered this field. It was the first place she had appeared that time. She was back in Gaea all right. She had no doubt. "I'm back!" she exclaimed out loud.

"Now... I have to find my way to Fanelia... If I remember correctly, I head this way throughout this forest and I should run into the road that leads there." She decided she had nothing to lose so she followed her instructions and headed off into the night. She had gotten use to not sensing things. Her gift faded as did her contact with Van. At first it was hard, but after a while she got along with out being able to dowse. She was so glad to be back. Only one day after her fateful decision did she realize her mistake. She knew she belonged with Van, but she thought she needed to be on Earth. Destiny placed her on that world for a reason, she knew it. But as the years dragged on and her contact with Van faded, she realized how wrong she was. She even tried dating, but none of them where Van. No matter how much they acted like him or looked liked him, they where never Van. Now, she could have him. Now she could be with him forever. She wasn't going back. No matter how much she believed everyone would miss her. It was her turn to be selfish.

As she headed deeper into the forest, she started to worry about her own directions. She had been wandering for a good while and still no signs of the road. She knew that it would be dangerous to stay in the deep forest so she hurried on. No luck, she ran into a dead end. There where big rocks in front of her and a steep bluff above her. She made a mistake. Her feet demanded a break now, and Hitomi abided. She rested against the cool rock in front of her and rubbed her feet. "I might as well stay here till there's light out..." she stretched out on it and fell asleep.

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Hitomi awoke when she heard birds singing around her. She rubbed her eyes and stretched.

"Sigh," Hitomi looked up into the sky and the then realized that she wasn't on a rock. She was on Escaflowne.

"I'm heading in the right direction!" she looked back down and saw Folken's grave and jumped down. "Hi, Folken. Are you looking after your little brother? Has he stayed out of trouble?" she looked around for a flower and when she did she picked it and placed it on his grave. "I've missed this place so much. I wish I never left. How are you doing? How's Fanelia?" she listened to the quiet answer and closed her eyes as a breeze blew by. Then she heard a rustle in the brush behind her. She turned around slowly to see what was there. Two eyes looked out from a group of leaves. "Who's there?"

The owner of the eyes jumped out, "Hitomi!!" Merle pounced on her and started to lick her face.

"Merle!" she hugged her tightly.

"Hitomi, it's really you!" she jumped off of her. "I thought I smelled you!"

"Wow! You've grown!" she looked up at Merle still wearing the same outfit.

"Well, of course! You've been gone for years! I was only a kitten when you met me!" Merle realized something, "Ugh, you have to see Fanelia! Come, let me show you the way!"

"Okay..." she looked at her curiously. Merle kept looking back nervously.

"Let's go now!" she grabbed her hand and ran in the opposite direction she came from.

"Well, wait, I have to say good bye to Folken-sama."

"What? You can do that later, common!" she pulled on Hitomi with more force.

"What's wrong Merle? Are you scared of ghosts?" she teased her and made a dead face.

"No, it's not that. Ugh! I give up! Fine! Stay! You'll see why I was trying to get you to leave," she let go and crossed her hands against her chest and stuck out her tongue.

Hitomi walked over to the grave and bowed in respect. "Bye Folken-sama-" she stopped as she heard Van's voice. It was off in a distance, but she knew it was his. He was laughing his laugh. She stood up to go run to him but stopped as she heard another voice. That of a girl. Calling him just commonplace Van.

"Told you. You should have come with me." Merle crossed her arms and grinned.

Hitomi ran and hid behind a tree as they came closer. As they approached the girl was holding Van close and he was holding her close. He was laughing with her with a certain look in his eyes. The look that he use to give Hitomi. `Iye... Iye...' She shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. Merle crawled over to her silently.

"That's Jennifer. A princess from another kingdom." she whispered. "After so many years of not seeing you, he realized you where never coming back. So he decided to move on. It was the best for Fanelia. After about a dozen girls he seemed to click with her and he asked her to marry him only after two weeks."

Tears swelled up in her eyes, her heart stopped, her body shook, and she felt queasy. "When's the wedding?"

"Tomorrow . . ."

"Tomorrow?!"

"Shh!!" Merle covered her mouth and ducked down. They listened as the two talked together.

"No, I did not hear anything, Van. You must be getting the wedding jitters. Jumping at everything."

"Yes, that's probably what it is."

"So why did you bring me here? It's so eerie."

"I'm not exactly sure..."

"You do not even know what your reasons are? Can we head back then?"

"In a second."

"I have the chills. There is something dead about this place."

"Yes, it's the grave of my brother."

"What?! You took me to a grave yard?!"

"Well... In a way I guess I did..."

"I'm heading back home. You can figure out why you came here with out me."

"She doesn't seem that nice..." whispered Hitomi to Merle.

"She doesn't usually act that way..." Merle stood up.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, *I'm* going to talk to Van-sama. You do what you want." She jumped out from behind the brushes, "Va-an-sama!!"

"Uh, Merle?" he turned around just as she jumped on him.

"I saw the way she treated you..."

"It's okay. She just doesn't like death. Not to many people do." he turned to Escaflowne.

"Well, neither do you. She could have been sympathetic. It *is* your brother."

"Again, not too many people like Folken." he turned to the grave and looked at the flower. He walked over to it and picked it up. "Merle? Did you place a flower on his grave?"

"No it's wasn't me- Oh! Yeah! I did! Right before you two got here I was... Talking with him. And his companions! Heh heh!"

"Oh." he looked down at the flower and back to Escaflowne.

"You still miss her don't you Van-sama?" she walked over to him.

"Who?" he put the flower back where he found it.

"Don't act stupid Van-sama. You know who."

"Yeah... Oh Merle..." Van placed a hand around Merle. "Why do you have to know me so well?"

"Mieu?" she looked up at him.

"Do you think I should marry Jennifer?"

"NO! I don't like the way she treats my Van-sama!"

"She treats me very well, Merle. You know that."

"No, not after I saw how she treats you alone. It's all an act. I know!"

"Why would she be acting?"

"To get Fanelia!"

"Oh, Merle. You think this land is worth that much? It's such a small territory over looked by everyone."

"You asked..."

Van smiled down on her. "What did you think of Hitomi?"

Merle looked to where Hitomi was hiding. "She was a spoiled brat. Always wanting this and that. But..." she looked back to Van. "I liked her liking you. I liked you liking her too."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... I liked you to together, Van-sama. If anyone should marry you it should be her!"

"She's gone Merle. I have to move on... I can't live alone with a dream... She let me go, so I let her go. That's enough of Hitomi, okay Merle? I love Jennifer. I'm going to marry her tomorrow as well. No matter what anyone else thinks." Van let go of his embrace and headed off.

"What if she came back Van-sama?" she called after.

"Then she'll be disappointed. She made a trip for no reason..." and he disappeared deep into the forest.

"Van-sama..." Merle said then she heard Hitomi crying. "Hitomi..." she ran over to where she was located and saw her crying into her hands pressing her legs against her chest. "Van-sama doesn't know what he's talking about. He just want's to do what's best for Fanelia and forget what's best for him. If you ask me you got what you deserved. You shouldn't have left Van-sama alone! He was so depressed! Sure he acted happy to have his kingdom back in order, but he was dieing in side!! He told me that he could talk with you and see you sometimes on the Mystic Moon, and you too could see him, but then he started to lose contact with you... and he just broke! He wouldn't go anywhere, or see anyone! This whole kingdom suffered because of you! Because you let go of him!"

"*I* didn't *ever* let go of him!! I'm not the one who's getting married!! While all my friends started a family I was stuck by my self moving from place to place looking for any thing that could bring me closer to him! *I* never wanted to stop talking to him! *I* wanted to live with him forever! Whether on Earth or here!! I love Van Fanel!!" she snapped back at Merle. "I don't want Van to suffer..."

"Then stop the wedding."

"What?"

"Van doesn't love *her*. He just thinks that Fanelia needs a queen. He's not thinking of him self. That's why he said those things. He want's to forget about you because you cause him so much pain being away from him."

"How will I stop the wedding..."

"Mieu! Just show up! One look at you and he'll forget about that Jennifer!"

"You think?"

"I know!!" she nodded vigorously. "So! Let's go!!" she ran off grabbing Hitomi's hand and dragging her along as she tried to keep up.

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