Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Heart of the Dragon ❯ Blood, Death, and Destruction ( Chapter 30 )

Chapter Thirty: Blood, Death, and Destruction

 

Hitomi mounted Van's horse, Knight. She thought it funny that she had stolen his horse instead of taking Adara, her own. She made sure her twins were tucked safely inside the carriage with a battalion of men to escort them. She was going ahead, since she was in more of a hurry to get to her husband. She sent two men before she started off, just so that they could warn the gate men that she was coming, and not to kill them all.

 

She kicked the horse hard in the side, smiling at the freedom the jeans she had brought with her gave her. She hated wearing gowns when she didn't have to.

 

At the break-neck pace they were going at, the carriage and the mounted men protecting it soon became small dots in the background. Since they had started early in the morning, she thought that they could get to Fanelia before the sun set. She smiled in anticipation.

 

 

**********

 

 

"Open the gates!! The Queen of Fanelia approaches!!"

 

The gatekeeper and several other men turned the huge crank that opened the metal doors. In the distance they could see a small entourage of people, the queen leading the men. They smiled, knowing that his highness would get in a much better mood, instead of training the men at a grueling pace. They had the feeling that when her gentle highness was gone all of his majesty's black moods came to surface. Although he hadn't had one for a few years.

 

Hitomi raced right past the men at the gate and kicked the horse harder, urging him faster to the palace. People jumped out of the way, others shouted at her. She leaned closer to the horse's powerful body, begging him to go faster. She promised him a carrot when they got back, and Hitomi laughed when the beautiful creature let forth a burst of speed. Now she knew why Van loved his warhorse so much.

 

She saw the palace up ahead. She sped up the drive that circled the front of her home, and saw Van run out the front doors. The look on his face when he saw his wife's flying hair and glowing face as she launched herself off the flying horse's back was enough to make her yell with delight. He caught her in his arms, locking his arms around her in a nearly bruising grip. "Van! Oh, Van, I missed you so much. I couldn't stay any longer without you!"

 

Hitomi wasn't even aware that the men that had been left in the dust behind her had just caught up, and Merle and Allen had followed Van outside. All she cared about was being safe in her husband's arms. She treasured being embraced in such warmth and love. She felt tears stream down her cheeks and laughed with ridiculous happiness. Van picked her up and twirled her around in the air, their arms still wrapped around each other. He set her down and leaned away, looking her over to make sure she was alright. "I'm fine, Van—"

 

She didn't finish her thought for his mouth was thoroughly devouring hers. She gripped onto his hair to keep him close and not let him go. She briefly registered Merle giggling in the background, and didn't even realize she had been swept up into her husbands arms. She only knew shock when her feet touched the familiar carpet in their room.

 

Van was hastily tearing off her clothes in his hurry to have her naked. She couldn't believe how maddened he was acting, but she loved it. She was naked and tossed on the bed in about thirty seconds, her husband right after her. She thought it was funny that he hadn't said one word to her yet, but absolutely forgot how anything could possibly be funny or what it even meant when he plunged into her. She gasped with the surprise and pleasure of it...when there was a knock on the door.

 

She thought Van was just going to ignore it, for he didn't acknowledge it and just moved faster and faster inside her. She moaned into his neck and clung to him, forgetting it herself...until there was another knock.

 

She could feel the growl vibrate in his chest before it came to surface. She hugged her legs tighter around him to make sure he didn't leave her and kill the person at the door, and it caused him to groan into her neck. He clutched desperately at her waist, pressing her closer. She felt her legs start to tremble and then work its wondrous way through her whole body, until she was just a shivering mass holding onto her increasingly forceful husband. He took her mouth in a hard kiss, drawing out another moan as her fingers racked down his back.

 

She fleetingly wondered if the people at the door had left, but to her immense enjoyment, his mouth closed over her nipple. She felt heat explode inside her and she cried out, just as her husband froze above her and moaned into her neck. He collapsed over her and tried to calm his erratic breathing and his galloping heart.

 

"What a wonderful hello," he whispered into her ear, letting his tongue flick over it in the process. Hitomi shivered at the small caress and he sat her up until she was she was kneeling in front of him. He was behind her, his fingers curling down her arms. His tongue stroked upward along the grooved nape of her neck, then his hand left her arm, slipped around to clasp one breast, teasing her nipple as the hot moist caress on her neck continued. He left her neck and drew his tongue along the line of her jaw, traced the shape of her ear.

 

Hitomi quivered, waiting for the unbearable yet exquisite moment when his tongue would delve into her ear. He knew the sensation drove her wild, but he teased for long minutes, his teeth nipping and tugging gently on her earlobe, his tongue stroking behind her ear, little darting thrusts within, withdrawing as soon as he felt her start to tremble.

 

He clasped her head firmly between both hands, and she knew it was coming, was already wriggling and squirming. Then his tongue was ravaging her ear, sending her into helpless paroxysms where she knew if he didn't stop, she would go insane.

 

He laughed even as he held her still and his breath mingled hot with the dampness of his probing tongue. Hitomi sagged back against him, almost relieved that he had stopped, but upset that he had. His fingers on her breast started again, and then roved downwards, but stopped when they rested against the flat plane of her stomach. He smiled and pressed small heated kisses along the column of her neck when he felt the hitch in her breathing.

 

He steadied her with a hand on her shoulder, then languidly traced the line of her spine with the pad of his thumb. His flat palm stroked over her bottom, then slid between her thighs. Hitomi quivered again and he held onto her shoulder tighter while his fingers reached for her, dancing, probing, as they slipped inside her.

 

The explosion took her completely by surprise. It was if she were consumed in a roaring conflagration; her skin was on fire, her blood was molten lava as the searing bliss devoured her.

 

The flames were still growing inside her when Van toppled her forward. She felt the soft bed beneath her stretched arms and she stared blindly at the dark green blankets under her. Holding her hips, he came into her while the fire still raged hot and the hard sensation of him added fuel to the flames. She cried out and her hands gripped onto the sheets, frantic to have something to hold on to. He passed his flat palms up her bent back and then down again, taking hold of her waist as he drew back for a second and then plunged back in.

 

Hitomi sobbed her pleasure into the bed blankets, and then he began to move inside her again. His hand slid beneath her belly, reaching down to touch her so that the pleasure built again, sweeping through her in little rivulets that gradually swelled to a mad river. The instant before the river burst its banks, he slid from her. He turned her over on the bed, drew her legs high onto his shoulders, and then entered her again. She gave a hoarse yell as he bent forward, effectively pinning her beneath him. When they both couldn't hold it back anymore, they let the fierce river overflow and consume them.

 

They both lay bathed in sweat, prostrate, unable to move or think. About a half an hour of just laying there, Van rolled over to her and gathered her gently into his soothing embrace. Hitomi sighed and let her head rest on his shoulder as he played with her hair.

 

She had been almost asleep when she felt the ground shake beneath her. They both shot up in bed, both looked at the balcony windows. Instantly Hitomi knew something was wrong, something so horrible in its boundless limits that she already felt the wrath burning inside her. Van swept his eyes over her quickly, then tossed her from the bed. She landed smack on her face, and then scrambled up, gathering anything she could to put on so she could get outside before she burned the palace down.

 

Van jumped on the bed and jerked on a pair of pants before he helped his wife dress in tangled clothes. She couldn't get the jeans over her legs and she was yelling in frustration. When she finally got them on, she ripped the shirt out of Van's hands that he was just about to put on, and then put it on herself. She could already feel the carpet under her feet start to steam with heat.

 

Van ripped open the balcony windows and his wife jumped right off, her wings all but destroying the shirt she had on. He ran back into the room when he saw his wife take off towards the outer limits of the city. He grabbed hold of his bow and arrows as he ran back outside, jumping into the sky. He could barely see Hitomi, for she flew about five times faster than him because of her powers. He saw her aura start to glow white, almost making the night turn into day.

 

Van fastened the quiver of arrows on his back with some difficulty, and then flew faster than he ever thought he could, right after the glowing form ahead of him.

 

 

**********

 

 

Dilandau laughed at the patheticness in front of him. "Ah, poor babies. Can't get them to shut up, can you?! Well make them anyhow!!!"

 

Seibu told him cleanly to shut up. "All I want is the children. Bring them to me."

 

Dilandau smiled wickedly. "Of course."

 

He lowered himself from his high position in the sky. His feet gracefully touched the ground and he lifted his hand, smirking at the static electricity racing up his arm and into his palm. He loved watching the power gather in his hand, enjoyed watching it blow up things, more specifically, people. He didn't enjoy anything more than hearing people's pained screams. Well, except for fire. But this powerball will have to do, he thought, flinging the basketball-sized ball at the pile of boulders. He heard frightened women's screams, babies cries, men's yells, as the ball obliterated the boulders and left a huge gaping hole in the ground.

 

He smiled at the cowering people in front of him. "Give me the babies and this will cease," he shouted at them, raising his hand and spreading his fingers as more power gathered in his palm. He saw the women hold the children closer to their bosoms and rock them back and forth, refusing to give them up. "Very well," he sighed, raising his hand to hurl the ball at their heads.

 

He felt a sudden painful impact on his side jar him to the side. His ball was flung into the air and he fell to the ground, his nose buried in the dirt. He spit the earth out of his mouth and raised himself up on his hands, looking around. He didn't see anything. He frowned, but got up and gathered the energy in his hand again.

 

"Do it and I will kill you."

 

He spun around hearing the threateningly haunting words flow past him. He winced at the pain in his eyes and covered them with his free hand. When his eyes became slightly adjusted to the glowing light, he opened them until he could just barely see the floating figure above him. He scowled.

 

"Can't stay away, can you bitch? Why don't you just let me get my job done with, and we will be out of your hair, which I must say, is quite wild looking at the moment."

 

Most of the time when something said about a woman's hair and how it was messed up was said, they immediately freaked out. However, Hitomi just glared at him, her eyes growing brighter with her fury each passing second.

 

Hitomi let the anger build inside her until she thought she would explode, but she continued to let it grow, grow until she felt the ground underneath her start to shake and sink. She briefly glanced at the crater beneath her, and then yelled at Dilandau, yelled at him with everything she had. "If you ever touch my children again, I will kill you!!!" She raised her arms above her head, struggling to control her awesome power as she felt lightning bolts curl around her form and engulf her, until she was consumed in the inferno and a ball the size of a house was in her hands. She concentrated the last of her energy in throwing it, yelling in pain as she felt her power drain from her body as it flew downward at Dilandau.

 

Dilandau felt the color drain from his face and his eyes widen in disbelief. He tried to block it, but it slammed into his body, buried him into the ground until the earth cracked and gave way to the energy ball and sent him spiraling down...down....

 

Seibu screamed and flung herself on the powerless woman. "Kill him?! I'll kill you!!!!" she yelled, gripping Hitomi's neck and squeezing as hard as she could. Hitomi cried out in pain at the electric shocks being shot into her from the woman strangling her. Seibu laughed menacingly. Hitomi felt her life force being sucked from her body, felt her heartbeat fade, felt her breathing slow....

 

"I am going to absorb your life into me...then you won't be alive, will you?" Seibu asked, laughing again as she watched Hitomi spit up black blood, watched as it ran down her chin and onto the dark tattered shirt she was wearing. She smirked, listening to her cough and gasp for air.

 

Seibu squeezed harder, letting her nails grow and twist around Hitomi's long slender neck. It dug deep into her skin, drew more blood. Seibu felt the bones start to crack, heard them snap under her strength.

 

She screamed in pain when she felt something sharp pierce her skin on her lower shoulder. She looked dumbly at the arrow sticking absurdly out of her shoulder. She looked up, seeing the masculine form of a man with glowing white wings. She saw his arm still drawn back from shooting the arrow.

 

Van watched in complete horror as she took hold of the arrow and tore it out of her shoulder, giving a ragged yell. He saw the blood spurt out of her shoulder and run down her leather suit. He felt a moments satisfaction that Seibu was in pain, but it quickly ended.

 

Seibu shoved her nails deeper into the delicate soft flesh of Hitomi's neck until she saw her nails come out on the other side. She had the woman's sticky warm blood flowing over her fingers and onto her arm in small rivulets.

 

Seibu watched in fascination as glowing blue energy ran up her arm and into her body as she sucked the rest of it out of Hitomi. She heard the satisfying crack as the bones in her neck finally gave and Hitomi's eyes rolled back into her head, blank and dead. She ripped her nails out of the woman's neck with some difficulty and let her head loll back as she tossed her like a bag of garbage to the ground a mile below.

 

Van cried out in horror as he heard his wife's neck snap in half. It reverberated through the mountains and bounced off, sending it right back at him. He folded his wings back behind him, sending himself hurtling to the ground below. He caught her lifeless form just a few yards before she hit the ground. He felt tears of helpless rage and pain flow down his cheeks as he landed on the ground, his wife's body cradled desperately in his arms. He laid her gently on the dirt road, made sure that she really was gone, made sure that she wasn't with him anymore. He couldn't even tell it was her neck that connected her head to her body anymore, it was such a bloody mass of skin, blood, and bone.

 

He buried his face in her chest, begging her to come back to him, not believing that she was dead. "No...no...no...you're not dead...no...."

 

He felt himself being dragged away from her blood covered form. He protested weakly, but in the end he just gave up. He looked to see a battered and bruised Dilandau, but he didn't care. He wanted to die.

 

Dilandau glanced down at the pathetic view of Van, smiling when he saw the tears gather in his eyes as he dragged him away from his thankfully dead bitch of a wife. "You know, your better off with her dead. She was a shrew anyhow. Now you can have the freedom you want, you can go around screwing every women on Gaea like you did before."

 

Van let the tears streak down his dirt covered cheek. His closed his eyes and reached behind him.

 

Dilandau screamed when he felt something sharp drive it ways clear through his foot and into the ground.

 

Van jumped up and threw his fist into Dilandau's face, making him fall to the ground. His pain and anger over losing one of the few things precious to him made adrenaline roar through his veins, made him stronger, made him think more quickly and efficiently. He kicked Dilandau in his head and smashed his booted heel into his beautiful face until he felt skin tear. He smiled triumphantly at the unconscious form of his foe and then kicked him as hard as he could again in the side of his head.

 

He felt Seibu fling herself on his back, but he just threw her right back off, not even trying. He walked over to her, his eyes nearly red. Her own eyes widened, wondering what was happening.

 

Vera and the other men watched as Van picked the powerful but small woman up by her neck and chuck her against the wall of the valley that surrounded them. They heard the dull thud of her head as it smashed into the rock. She fell into a heap on the ground, but got right back up. She threw her arms out and extended her nails again, not even bothering to watch as they grew another seven inches. She charged at him, using his nails as a weapon, just like a sword.

 

She threw her hand at him, but he calmly grabbed it, and twisted until her wrist dislocated and the bones broke in two. She didn't even make a sound of pain. She slashed her other hand at him, but he didn't have a chance to grab it. He ducked out of the way and let his foot fly to the side of her head. He felt the hard material of his metal tipped boots connect with her skull and watched with satisfaction as her head was jerked backwards and blood spurted everywhere.

 

Seibu fell to the ground, but quickly scrambled up. Her good fist smashed into the side of his face, and he stumbled some before he regained balance. He stood and flipped backwards to avoid a sweep of her leg. He bounded backwards until he was a safe enough distance from her so he could think. He saw an awake Dilandau rip the arrow that had pinned him to the ground out of his foot and stand with some difficulty.

 

Dilandau snarled at Van and jumped up into the air, only to hurl himself back downward on him. The impact jarred some sense into the temporarily insane Van and he sprang up quickly, only to run over to the helpless and terrified men, woman, and babies gathered by the destroyed rocks. "Please, get out of here. Save Malaika and Ryu. I don't know what I would do if I lost them too."

 

Vera nodded, tears in her soft brown eyes as the protective samurai around her took the children from her arms. She cried out in alarm, but they silenced her as one man picked her up and tossed her nonchalantly over his shoulder.

 

Van felt the wind blow harder around him and he closed his eyes, his hands fisting at his sides as he heard Dilandau laugh behind him. He prayed he had gotten his children away in time.

 

He turned around to see Dilandau and Seibu standing side by side, their battered bodies not showing one ounce of pain. Dilandau held up his finger, and pointed to the broken form of his dead wife. "Why don't we make a grave for your pathetic wife, Van?"

 

Van held up his own hand. Please, he begged. Please....

 

He felt tears course down his face and he felt something strange grow inside him, felt a growing power...an urgency. He felt it build inside him, felt it boil...seethe...fume with the power growing inside him. He let out a cry of hopelessness as blue light gathered at his fingers and then shot forward...right through Seibu.

 

Seibu stared down at the small gaping hole in her stomach. She turned her pain filled gaze to her horrified husband. He caught her just as she collapsed. He lowered her to the ground, his gaze not daring to leave her face. She grappled for his hand, and he let her take hold of it. "Seibu...don't die. Don't leave me all alone."

 

She tried to laugh, but blood was all that came up. Instead, she smiled. Dilandau gave her his own, trying to help her in every way her could, even if it was just a weakling smile.

 

"Oh, Dilandau," she sighed, but ended up choking, spitting up blood. "I'm not going to die. Dying is for pathetic people."

 

"But—" he stuttered, not understanding. He could swear he felt her life slipping awake, felt it fading into the distance.

 

"I hope you don't get mad at me for doing this, but you don't want me to die, right?"

 

Dilandau gulped and squeezed her hand harder, knowing what she was going to do. He nodded for her to continue, and he felt some of his energy being sucked clean from his body. He watched completely stunned as the gaping hole in her stomach closed and healed as if it hadn't ever been there. He collapsed over top of her, unable to keep his weak body upright. Seibu sat up, picking her own husband up in her arms. He was about three times her size, but she didn't have any problems at all as she launched herself in the sky, taking off into the growing light horizon.

 

Van just stared at the spot the sinister people had just vacated. He felt the ground beneath start to shake from the pounding hooves of horses. He looked off into the distance and saw Allen's familiar flowing blonde hair.

 

Van walked feebly over to the dead body of his wife. He gave a brief fleeting thought to the rest of the world as he dropped to her side, falling into the dark world of bliss that he had wished for the moment the sound of snapping bone had reached his ears....

 

 

**********

 

 

 

Allen sat pale and scared next to Van's bed four days later. He still hadn't woken up yet. Nara had no doubt that he had sealed himself into a coma. His friend was growing weaker as each day passed, and there wasn't much they could do when Van wished for death...longed for it with all his being.

 

He sighed and took hold of Van's hand again, giving it a quick squeeze before he got up and left. He knew that the maid waiting outside would come in after he left and start her own four hour watch. They all took turns, praying and hoping Van would wake. He was trying to forget the drip drip drip of the annoying IV that kept him alive and fed him the needed sugars his body wasn't getting while he was locked away in the coma and couldn't eat. He wondered if at any point in his life he had prayed so hard.

 

He didn't notice the hand maiden walk in to Van's room, he was just trying to get the lump out of his throat. He swallowed hard and went to his room, quickly adjusting his black belt around his waist as he stepped into his room. Merle looked up from her position from the window, silently wiping away her tears on her black sleeve. Allen hurried over to her side and she held onto him as she tried to keep the rest of her tears down.

 

"Shh...it's alright. We can leave as soon as Hitomi is put to rest if you want."

 

Merle shook her head. "I can't leave Van. I have to wait for him to get better...or die," she whispered, pulling out of his embrace and walking out of the room, her black skirts swishing back and forth. "You know, I don't understand this whole thing. Didn't you see the burns on Van's hands? They were just like the ones Hitomi had the first few times when her powers acted up. You know what I'm talking about don't you?"

 

Allen picked up his daughter that was sitting up on the bed. She giggled at his attentions and he tucked her blanket around her more firmly as they walked out of the room. "Yes. I know what you're talking about," he answered simply. They went to the darkly lighted temple where they had all been married both times. Allen took hold of his wife's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, reminding her that this wasn't the real thing, they were just visiting. Merle smiled weakly at him and they walked up to the alter, where hundreds of flowers sat around a high stand. On the top of the stand, sat a white coffin decked out with gold and silver.

 

It wasn't open, for the woman inside wasn't in good enough shape to be shown to the public. Merle watched sadly as another person stood up from kneeling from their position in front of the casket. The woman did a quick curtsy and left the room when she saw her, and Merle and Allen waited for the heavy door to close. The soft click alerted them that they were alone.

 

Allen let go of his wife's hand and walked slowly up to the stand, going down on one knee and resting his fisted hand on his chest. Merle was grateful that she had given Aleta for a maid to hold onto while they visited, so now she could do her daily ritual. She went down on her knees beside Allen, threaded her fingers together and prayed that Hitomi was in a better place.

 

Allen opened his eyes slowly, letting his eyes drift over the softly glowing arranged candles. All white, all different sizes. They were the only things that lit the temple. He thought of all that happy times he had had with Hitomi, all the sad times. Not one that he would willingly ever give up. He felt his eyes tear, remembering all the times Hitomi had helped him, and how they had gotten through everything together, their friendship getting stronger each time. He heard Merle sob and watched her bury her face in her hands. He knew that she didn't want any comfort, so he just closed his eyes, struggling to keep the sad tears back. He hadn't cried once yet, and he needed to. He felt that for a man he shouldn't do such weak female things, but if he thought about it, some of the strongest men he had ever met in his life cried. Van certainly cried when he absolutely needed to. And boy did he bawl his eyes out. He gave a teary-eyed smile and let them fall over his cheeks.

 

The door to the temple opened, but they didn't move from their spots, nor did they open their eyes. Allen heard almost silent footsteps stop behind him, and a whoosh of air as someone kneeled.

 

Allen finished his prayers and stood, saying, "Van would be very proud of you, Hitomi." He turned on his heel and stopped dead in his tracks. Van stared back at him, his eyes red and blurry. He nodded and stood, closing his eyes. "I am, Allen. I'm so very proud of her."

 

Merle gasped and spun around, landing on her bottom. She jumped up, but didn't fling herself in his arms. "Van—"

 

"How long was I asleep?" he asked quietly, his voice seeming strained.

 

Allen could tell his malnourished friend was having a difficult time standing. He helped him sit in one of the rows. "Four days. Is there anything you need?"

 

Van gave him a pathetic look. "You know what I need."

 

Allen realized he still had tear streaks on his face. He wiped them off quickly and laid his hand on Van's broad shoulder. "Do you want us to leave?"

 

"No. I don't want to be alone," he said simply. Merle sat down next to him, taking hold of his hand laying lax beside him.

 

"We won't leave you alone, Van. You don't have to worry," she whispered, giving his hand a squeeze.

 

He smiled. "But I do ask that you leave me alone for a few minutes, just so I can say goodbye. You know I have to."

 

Merle frowned fiercely, shaking her head hard. "No, Van. You never have to say goodbye to her. You don't have to."

 

Van stared ahead of him at the altar. "No. I think its just right that I do. Hitomi wouldn't want me to be sad, right? She would want me to be happy, thinking her to be in a better place, which she is. And I'm not entirely alone, am I? I still have my children she gave me. All I have to do is look in their eyes and I will see their mother. I will always have her, even though she is gone."

 

Merle gave him a warm smile, surprised at the beautiful speech he had just given. "Oh, Van, before we leave, did you know hat Varie left for Asturia?"

 

"Yes. She left the day Hitomi came back. She will probably be back by today or tomorrow, for she just found out that Hitomi is dead and I'm in a coma."

 

Merle gave a small laugh and patted his hand. "We'll wait for you, alright?"

 

Van nodded and they left, letting the door close quietly. He sat in the row seat for a few minutes before he stood himself and walked up to it. He knew he was a fool, a complete and utter fool. He knew that he wouldn't be able to say goodbye to her, knew that he wouldn't be able to think anything but sad thoughts no matter what he did or tried. He knew she was in a better place, but that wasn't good enough. All he could think was the pain she must have gone through while he watched her die. And he hadn't even done anything. He had just watched like a stupid idiot as her neck snapped and Seibu threw her to the ground a mile below.

 

He ran his hand over the smooth material of her coffin, thinking it perfect that she had something so pure looking to be buried in. He rested his head on it, letting his pent up emotion gush forth on a tidal wave. His fingers had nothing to grip onto but wood, and he didn't even realize he was breaking it, causing splinters to go flying. He felt his tears pelt the coffin and soon his face was drenched, his sobs echoing though the enormous temple, surprisingly not making them sound louder, for they were already loud enough.

 

His fists started pounding the casket as he continued to replay her death over and over again in his head. "No, damn it...no!!!!" he yelled, slamming his clenched hands as hard as he could against the coffin. He jerked upward, cursing as he tried to rip his hands out of the gaping holes in her casket. He had smashed his hands right through it. He tugged them out and tried not to look inside, but he couldn't help himself. He frowned when all he saw was white. He pushed the flowers laying on the top of it off and onto the carpeted ground. His fingers found the lock that kept the thing closed and he unclasped it, hearing it creak open slowly.