Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Returning ❯ Prolouge ( Prologue )

Disclaimer: Escaflowne, and all it's characters and objects are not mine.

AN: My first Escaflowne fan fic. This part is the Prologue, and very short compared to the other chapters… this is pretty much introducing the current settings. Oh, and I've only seen Escaflowne in German, so I'm spelling things the German way. I've also only seen the last two episodes, when I was channel surfing on MTV at one in the morning, and then started to watch the rerun of the series, which is currently up to episode 12, but I've read very detailed summaries for the other episodes, so I think I'll be okay. Feel free to correct anything, though.

I was going to wait to post this, but it's my sixteenth birthday, and I decided to post a fic for you as my present.

Anyway, I hope you like the fic.

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Prologue

"And so that's why I started to laugh when Media said that."

Hitomi allowed herself a small smile. It wasn't really for her, it was more for the reassurance of Bradley, her date. Truth be told, if she had been asked to repeat what he had said, she wouldn't have been able to say.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Bradley noticed. "Hitomi? Is something wrong?"

She blushed. "No, not at all. I was…just thinking over something."

Bradley didn't like her response. Taking her hand in his, he leaned closer. "Please, tell me. You space out quite frequently, I've noticed, and you shouldn't be doing that. Just the other day you forgot you were cooking something, and it started to burn. Be glad that Yukari came in, and noticed before your apartment was set on fire."

Hitomi blushed again. It wasn't the first time Bradley had chided, or simply reminded her to stop getting lost in herself. He spent most of their time together reminding her to be careful. He was one of her good friends; she had met him at the end of high school, when he had transferred there. After a few months, Bradley had asked her out, and she had consented. They had been going out since then.

He had been one of the main rescuers of her life. After returning from Gaea, Hitomi had fallen into a stupor. She had missed Van so much, had missed everything there that she hadn't wanted to live anymore. She didn't eat, and started to skip school, running away, and had turned into a problem child, ignoring her friends and family.

Yukari and Amano had been shocked by her behaviour. She had returned distant, cold, uncaring. They had been truly worried about her. After sitting her down, and holding her there until she had confessed what was wrong, she had told them the story of Gaea. Of Escaflowne, Van, Allen, Merle, Dilandau, Zaibach, everything. They had sat there, raptured in her tale. When she had finished, they had comforted her. Two years had gone by, and the once beautiful girl had been turned into a skeleton from not eating.

They had checked her into a clinic, and she had gained enough weight back, and kept it there so that she was no longer under weight, but just thin. She had turned out beautiful, and since she had started going back to school, her grades had picked up. She started to run again, and she had learned to live again.

Then Bradley had come, and had also helped her. She was afraid to be with him at first, but then she had used him to forget. She had tried ever since she had meant him that she loved him. That what she and Van had was just a crush. That she didn't care about Van anymore. It was a lie, but she had been convincing herself for years of that fact, and was afraid she was starting to believe it.

She shook her head. Bradley had just said something. "I'm sorry…what did you just say?"

Bradley smiled and shook his head. "I asked if you were ready to graduate. You know we're graduating in a week."

Hitomi shrugged. "I guess so…I mean I know it's odd for me to graduate at nineteen, but I think I am ready."

She wasn't exactly sure if she was ready, but she wasn't going to tell Bradley that. After saving herself from almost dying by not eating, something the doctors called anorexia, even though that name was more for doing it because of beauty's sake, and not because she just didn't feel like eating, she had literally thrown herself into her studies. She spent all her time studying, and doing track, so that she had graduated from high school a year early, and had even skipped a grade in college, so that she was graduating two years early.

After college, she had earned a degree in Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Due to her majors and degrees, she could pretty much do anything she wanted, in science or math qualifications. The only problem was that she wasn't sure what exactly she wanted to do. Her parents were well of, and she had a trust fund she'd receive at the age of twenty, in a few months. Her father was an attorney, her mother a former teacher who had quit after having Hitomi. Her brother was also an honours student. Quite frankly, every door in the world was open to her, except one, the one she wanted, the one that led to Van, that led to Gaea.

At a glance, anyone who saw her would say she was a beautiful, bright, outgoing, rich, smart young woman with a bright future ahead of her. She had the ways of the world, was well liked by her peers, and her professors praised her. But in side, she was feeling lost, and unsure. That's why I started going out with Bradley, she mused. Because I needed something to fill up the void that appeared when I left Van and Gaea.

Her mind went back to Bradley, who was still sitting across from her. They had received their main courses, and began to eat, Bradley doing most of the conversing, and Hitomi adding 'yes', 'uh huh', 'I see', and other various sounds of recognition. After dinner was finished, they still had a glass of wine on the table.

Bradley coughed lightly, and Hitomi turned to him. "Hitomi, I received a offer for a job, in computer engineering. It's a great opportunity, and they want me to start in two weeks, a week after graduation. The thing is that I can't bring anyone with, who isn't part of the family. I spoke with the director, and told him about how I didn't want to leave you behind, but he said as long as we're not family, you can't come with." He took a deep breath, and Hitomi cut in.

"Does that mean you're going? That we're ending our relationship?" Deep in her heart, she knew that that was probably a good thing, that she didn't have to play the lie any longer, the fact that she really didn't love him with all her heart. But most of her body, and brain was sad that he was leaving. He had been a way to convince her that she didn't have to pine after Van, that she had someone else. Not to mention that he was a good friend.

But to her amazement, Bradley laughed. "No, not in the least. Actually, it's the complete opposite. Hitomi, will you marry me?" He brought a small box out of his pocket, and kneeled on the floor, flipping the box open, displaying a gold ring, with a diamond in the middle. The entire restaurant watched the pair.

"Hitomi, I love you, and I can't imagine going anywhere without you. It's been two, three years since we met, and they have been the best years of my life. You convinced me to work to my limits, only so that you wouldn't be alone in college, so that you could graduate with a friend. And through that, I grew to love you, to love you so much; I couldn't possibly live without you. And that's why I'm asking, will you marry me?"

Hitomi gasped. She was so confused. Did she love him? Didn't she? If she married him, she could push Van away. She could convince herself that she would never have to wait for Van. She could move on with her life. She could be loved back. But on the other hand…did she really love him? Did she love Bradley enough to marry him? Or was he just a thing she could hide behind? She shook her head. The real question was, did she love him? The answer? Yes. "Oh, Bradley, yes, yes I will." She started to cry, if it were tears of disappointment, tears of joy, or tears of sorrow, she didn't know.

Bradley slipped the ring on her finger, and kissed her soundly. The entire restaurant applauded. Free drinks were brought, the musicians struck up a song, and the entire restaurant celebrated with the newly engaged pair.

Later that night, after Bradley had dropped her off at her apartment, she lay in bed. She always liked to go through her day, thinking about what had happened. And then she came upon the engagement, and what it meant. She had asked herself earlier if she loved him. The answer was yes. But, she realised, she hadn't been quite truthful. Did she love him? Yes. But, did she love him enough to marry him? To spend the rest of her life with him? To honour and obey, till death do us part? To love him, and only him, with her entire heart? Could she even? Could she even learn how to?

She burst into tears again. The answer to those questions was a two-letter word, her brother's first word. No. But what had she done? She had agreed to marry Bradley, to spend the rest of her life with him. And they had already talked about plans. They were to be married two weeks from that day. She had to go to the bridal salon, and start thinking about getting her dress, and a dress for Yukari, her maid of honour. Everything was going top go quickly. And the problem? She wasn't ready. She wasn't even close to ready. "What have I done?" She whispered, and then fell into a restless sleep.

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"I think Princess Lyddia is quite pretty." Allen said, sitting down. "Or Princess Lilliana. They're both astounding."

"Then why don't you marry them?" Van said, flumping down in his chair. "You can have them."

Allen sighed. Van was becoming quite a problem lately. In Gaea, it wasn't uncommon for a sixteen year old to marry, especially in noble and royal families. The fact that Van was turning twenty in a few months, and that he still hadn't chosen a bride was a point of concern for most of Van's advisors and generals. If Van were to die, without an heir for the thrown, Farnelia would be in a spot of trouble, to put it lightly. "You have to like someone."

Van shrugged. "I do. I'm desperately in love with someone. But, seeing how it's impossible to be with them, what can I do?"

Allen shook his head. He had walked right into that one. "But as you said, it's impossible to be with her. So, you have to find another Queen."

"But I don't want another Queen. I want her. I want her to be my wife, the mother of my children, my Queen."

Allen sighed. Van was stubborn, and had been, ever since he had met him. He had also grown up a lot though, and wasn't so brash to run into a swordfight with an unknown opponent when he was warning you off, and there was no need. He had also matured physically, and had also become wise, to an extent at least, though he could still be rash. But he was still stubborn to the bone. "Look, you heard what Daris said. He said he was performing a marriage ceremony for you in three months, and if you didn't have a woman standing there with you, he would have raffle. So, unless you want to be raffled off, I suggest finding someone to marry. And soon."

Van sighed. "I don't care. I'll never fall in love again. I want her, and she's the one for me. I don't want anyone else. No one else would feel right. I couldn't marry anyone else."

"Van! You're lucky you haven't been already married off. I seem to remember someone confessing that he was supposed to start looking for a bride when he was first crowned, and now, four years later, has to be married by his twentieth birthday. That's how it's always is with royalty, you should know that. So just find someone that you decently like, and marry them!" Allen shouted out. He was getting quite annoyed with Van, and Van was being as stubborn as ever.

"I can't spend my life with someone I don't love! I don't know why I let her go in the first place. I let her go because I wasn't sure what I was feeling. I didn't understand the change-but, now I do. And now I want her back, desperately. I can't just marry anyone. And it's not like I can have an affair either. If she's a virgin, I have to marry her, and that's not even right. I can't lead someone on like that. So don't try to preach me!" Van stood up, and brought out a necklace. Allen studied it, and realised what it was. Hitomi's pendant.

Allen found his voice. "Where did you get that?"

Van sighed, turning to the window. Farnelia was still being built up, but the capital, and most places were done. Farnelia had been restored to its former glory, and had become even richer and fancier than before. Yes, it still had debts to pay off, but they would pose no problem. He always enjoyed watching the sun set, displaying the Moon of Illusions, and throwing colours in the sky.

He then turned away from the window, clutching the pendant. "When she left, it was when I first realised I had fallen in love with her. But-I couldn't go with her, I had my duty to my people, and she had a family and friends there. So, we traded, so to speak. She gave me the pendant. It was my link to her, my reminder of her, and in turn, I gave her one of my feathers. We swore to keep in touch, to always talk to each other, we had somehow formed a bond, and we could read each other's thoughts through it, when the other person allowed, of course.

"We started contacting each other, once a week, but then…it got less frequent, and continued, so that the last time I had talked to her was over a year ago, and that was six months after the last. Somehow, I don't know, we can't do it any more. Maybe we could, if we really concentrated at the same time. But…" He trailed off. "I've never taken off the pendant, and I never will, unless it's to give it back to her. I love her, I just can't let her go…"

Allen stood up. "But maybe you should. Maybe you have to let her go."

Van shook his head. "I don't know if I can. I don't know if it's possible. I started feeling different the first moment I saw her. But I had to go act like an idiot, and tell her that I didn't need saving, that I could have managed without her. And then, there were all these obstacles, that stood in the way."

Allen stayed silent. He himself had been one of the obstacles, and didn't feel like going into it.

Van walked over to his desk, and flopped down in the chair. "If only I could see her again…I'd do anything."

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A figure watched the glass. "Anything, Your Majesty? I think that can be arranged…" It burst into laughter, and a woman struggled in her chains.

"Please, Master, let me free, please! I've told you all I know."

The figure turned to her, grabbed her chains, and flung her into the wall. "I told you, I'm not finished with you yet. There are pieces to the puzzle, you know, all magic's a puzzle, and you're one of them."

The woman, who was probably in her late sixties, tried to stand, but couldn't. She had been kept like this for years, and nothing had helped her. Her health was deteriorating, and she knew that if she wasn't freed soon, she would die. He last thought was At least he can never achieve his goal, if I die, before she sank into unconsciousness.

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AN: I already have the first chapter, and most of the second chapter done, so expect more soon. Anyway, the evil figure's mine, so is Bradley, the other woman, and any other characters that don't exist in the 'real' Escaflowne world.

I'd also like a beta reader, I just feel more comfortable. If there's anyone who'd like to do it, please leave a review, or e-mail me.

I hope you all liked it, and please review. Constructive Criticism is also very helpful.

-Jennie