Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Persephone ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Ratings/Warnings: Rating is PG.

Summary: The goddess of spring Hitomi has always led only the most luxurious life atop the mountain of Atlantis... until the day she receives a proposal of marriage from the dismal keeper of the underworld Van. Hitomi is convinced her life is over, but what if Van is not the cold-hearted person she thinks he is?

Author´s Notes: I´m so sorry, everyone, for taking this long to update. I have been studying in Mexico and with getting ready to leave and all, I just dropped some things out of my schedule. The rest of the chapters are done now and should be up in the next couple weeks. Thanks for being so patient. -Katrina

PS I´ve put Millerna in place of Aphrodite, in case anyone was wondering. :)

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Persephone: Chapter 7
by Katrina Kadabra

Hitomi had a hard time falling asleep that night. Allen's confession to her had taken her completely off guard; he certainly was forward about his feelings for her. Hitomi wished she could be just as forward with him, but the fact remained that she didn't know how she felt. She was still trying to get over the trauma of being kidnapped in the first place. Though she had to admit, Van did treat her with utmost respect. She hadn't been very kind to him on her arrival, in fact except for that one walk through the Elysian Fields, she was pretty rude. Van had said that he loved her too. But he wasn't like Allen; he didn't go around proclaiming his love so boldly. No, Van was much more subtle than that. Hitomi reasoned he had to be; he'd been put down by the other Olympians for a long time.

"Still..." Hitomi mused. "He could have been a little kinder. Gotten me flowers and taken me out or something... how does he expect to win a girl over by dragging her down to this place and being so quiet all the time?" Hitomi crossed her arms and blushed at the thought that she might actually want to be won over by Van.

"Get a grip," she muttered to herself. "You're a spring goddess, and he rules the underworld. You don't need to be satisfied with being wed to him; you shouldn't be. You've got a dashing hero waiting on Atlantis to sweep you away at your word." It was true. Allen would probably fight all the horrors of the underworld to try and take Hitomi. And for now, Hitomi didn't want that. So she decided to play middle of the road for a while longer. At least until she discovered her true feelings.

"But no more trying to bring out Van's softer side," she reasoned. "If he wants my love so badly, he'll have to show his to me first." Smiling at her unusual assertion on things, Hitomi stood up to go bathe. Only before she got a step out of her room, she suddenly bumped into Hermes.

"Ow..." the winged god muttered, rubbing his head as he looked up to see who it was he had run into. His face lit up when he saw Hitomi.

"Hitomi! There you are!" he exclaimed. "You need to come with me right away, Millerna needs your help."

"To Atlantis?" Hitomi questioned. "But I'm not supposed to be there for another three weeks."

"I know, and I told Millerna that, but she was very insistent..."

As they were talking, Van was taking a stroll down the corridor towards Hitomi's room. He wanted to try again to talk to her, but somehow his nerves were getting the better of him. How ironic, he reasoned, that he could stand in the face of the darkness and loneliness of the lower world, yet he couldn't work up the strength to ask Hitomi to take a simple walk with him again? Then again, maybe the darkness made him more comfortable, because it complemented his loneliness.

As Van approached, he heard two voices talking, one of which he recognized as Hitomi's. He turned the corner to see her talking to the messenger god, who looked very anxious about something.

"What's going on?" Van asked, walking up to them.

"Millerna apparently needs my help with something, and wants me to go to Atlantis," Hitomi explained.

"For what?" Van questioned. Hitomi could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't too thrilled with the idea.

"She didn't say, but she seemed pretty anxious. It won't take but a few minutes." He looked hopefully at Van, who in turn glanced at Hitomi and sighed.

"Alright, alright. We'll see what she wants. But I'll be the one to take Hitomi there." He held out his arm, and Hitomi took it, much to the relief of Hermes. At least that was one less job he for him to worry about. Meanwhile, as Van escorted her into his black chariot, Hitomi pondered at the thought of what could possibly be so urgent that Millerna would call for her like this.

"You want us to do what?!" Van exploded.

"It's just for a few weeks," Millerna pleaded, holding up a bit of a plump but adorable looking toddler into Van's face. "See, look how sweet he is. His name is Chid."

"I don't care what his name is, we're not you're baby-sitting service," Van asserted. "I've got enough work to do without a little kid to worry about."

"I can watch him," Hitomi volunteered. She had to admit, Millerna's idea of taking care of her 18-month old nephew was not exactly what she had in mind for help, but she wasn't opposed to it either. Maybe having the little guy around would lighten the tension a bit. Either that or bring more of it, Hitomi wasn't quite sure which.

"Hitomi..." Van muttered, his cheeks a bit pink. "Don't take this the wrong way, but do you know how to take care of children?"

"Sure I do," Hitomi replied, taking Chid from Millerna's arms and holding him up in the air. The child giggled. "See, he likes me already." Van rolled his eyes. He really didn't want this job in any way shape or form. Still, it was the first time he had seen Hitomi excited about something since she arrived, and he didn't want to lose that. So it seemed he had no other option but to concede.

"Two weeks," he said sternly. "You try and leave him with us any longer and I will personally abandon him on Gaia, and don't think I won't." He tried to sound very strict, but Millerna didn't buy it.

"Of course you won't," she said with a smile.

While Millerna was babbling off countless instructions, Allen walked over towards Hitomi. As she held Chid who was starting to drift off to sleep, Allen suddenly leaned in towards her face.

"I know you said you didn't want to pursue anything right now," he said. "And I respect that. But I still need to know your feelings for me. Please be ready when I come with the answer." With that, Allen skillfully leaned back again before Van could notice what he was doing. Hitomi felt herself blushing again. She certainly had gotten herself into the middle of a battle.

"Hitomi, let's go," Van called.

"Coming!" Hitomi replied following along after him. Even on the ride back, she still could forget Allen's words. Two weeks. Two weeks to decide her fate, and who she wanted to be with. Hitomi was a little flattered by the whole thing, but also very nervous. She only wished her heart would tell her where her true affections lied.