Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ The Mysteries of Love ❯ The Moles ( Chapter 2 )

Hitomi, asleep on the mossy forest green ground, the sun just rising in all it's wonder, and her eyes slowly flutter open. She sits up while wiping the dirt from her face with one hand while the other rubs the sleep from one eye. Everything seems less frightening while the sun is up. As she stands to her wobbly feet, she remembers that she has missed the sunrise for the first time in two years, two years today.

She looks up to see the gallant star in the sky but falls to the ground when what she sees isn't what she expects.

"The Earth and the moon? But..I thought...there was no light... and... I... but... no... why... ??... I must be dreaming!" She looks up again, but still the two moons hang in the sky. She sits down by a tree for moment and buries her face in her hands. She doesn't notice the two scruffy looking creatures come out from the bushes. One of them is wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt, the other, a dress covered with real dried purple, pink and red petunia's. They carefully tap the curious girl on the shoulder. Hitomi's head snaps up and faints at the site of the odd couple. Together the nearly blinded creature's lift Hitomi off the ground and walk slowly towards a large hole in the ground a few miles away.

"Jordan! Jordan! Jordan wake up! Jordan wake up!" Yukari bangs loudly on the small cedar door. A tall man answers, looking extremely perturbed.

"Excuse me! People are trying to sleep here! Do you mind?" He bellows at her, steam rushing through his eyes.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry...My friend is missing and I was just wondering if Jordan maybe knew where she was..." The man calms down, noticing how Yukari is trembling.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare ya. I'm just not used to little girls coming to my house, banging on the door, screaming. Now Jordan's not here. He left sometime last night because he wasn't here when we got home. We don't know where he is. Probably on one of his adventures again. Will that be all??"

"Uh yes thank you very much." Yukari quickly runs back to her lonely cottage, and searches for a note or a sign of were Hitomi went.

"You better not have taken Jordan away from me Hitomi! Uk! I can't believe this!"

Hitomi had just fallen asleep in the Gaean Forest. Two Mole like people were walking through that part of the woods. Not too far form their home. They spot a beautiful angel sleeping in the middle of a clearing. "It's a little lady!" One of them shrieks. They stay, watching over her, speaking to her still and silent body. "I've heard so much about you Hitomi lady. Won't everyone be surprised to hear you've returned! Especially King Van! Except, my husband told me of a magically white light...We did not see it! I wonder how else you could have managed to get here?" Then the female mole walked to a nearby bush and waited for dawn to appear.

Van is still sleeping soundly dreaming about Hitomi, again. It's the same dream he's been having over and over again lately. Hitomi is being captured by an evil force that he can't make out. Suddenly everything surrounding him is black as white feather's fall to the ground. Hitomi is falling amongst them. Sharp rocks appear below her and Van wakes just as she hits them. Taking in deep breaths and sweating furiously, he puts his hands to his face and wipes the perspiration from his aching head.

"This can't keep going on like this. I'm already late for work. I'm supposed to be helping to build my country not sleep through it. I'll have to skip my bath this morning." He quickly puts on clean beige pants and a clean red sleeveless shirt.

"If I'm not going to smell clean at least I can look it." He opens the door and runs down the long steps for breakfast. Before he can even touch the delicious piskis the doors swing open and slam against the walls. Two guards come in holding a boy in their arms.

"King Van! We found this intruder sleeping by the royal graveyard. Shall we throw him in prison?" Van gives them a frustrated look and tells them to leave so he can speak with the young man. They leave expeditiously, not to disobey they're king. The young man looks extremely confused and falls to floor in tears. The ruby eyed king walks over to him offering his hand. The boy stands up and sits in one of the chairs at the table. Van can tell he's from the Mystic Moon by the close he's wearing.

"So your from the Mystic Moon I see. How did you get here? Did anyone come with you?" Van is anxious to hear if Hitomi had by any chance followed him.

"I'm sorry...I have no idea where I am. I was following my friend and then I woke up to your guards ugly faces!"

Van sits down next to the very orey-eyed lad and pats him on the back.

"They aren't the most amusing faces to see when you wake up. So what's your name? I'm Van Fanel, King of Fanelia.

"Jordan it's nice to me-You're a king? Where the hell am I?" Van just shakes his head. It was almost the same reaction Hitomi had had when she first came to Gaea. Van explained to Jordan all about Gaea and how he probably got there.

"How do you know all this?"

"A girl came here two years ago. She was a good friend." He blushed slightly then continued. "Would you like to help me with the finishing touches on my kingdom, it got burned down a couple of years ago and we're just finishing to re-building now." Jordan gladly accepted and borrowed some clean clothes from Van.

Hitomi wakes up, keeping her eyes shut. Praying that she was on Gaea, praying that it all hadn't been a dream. She wanted to see Van so much. Although the same question rings through her head, "How did I get here?"

She slowly opens her eyes worried of where she ended up. She's obviously not in the forest anymore. There's a long wool blanket on top of her, and under her there's more wool with leaves and moss. The room is surprisingly bright considering it was made completely out of dirt and mud. It's a cozy little cave full of petite shelves. A round table sits in the middle of the chamber, and a small stove rests against the wall at the opposite end of the bed. A short and chubby creature pours some steamy tea into a blue and rose cup.

"Weller I see that you be awaker! Here have somer tea deary." She hands Hitomi the cup and sits down beside her on the cozy bedding. She has a stubby nose and a long beautifully smelling dress.

"I be Misses Petunia Mole dear, I believe you er already met me husband. Eee, Mr. Mole! Be scuzin my speaches deary, me husband was around humans for a time so he learnded how to speach good." Suddenly, A short mole man walks in carrying a handful of precious jewels. Hitomi knew one thing, she did not know this mole.

"Ai! Petunia! Me and Mole found some er pretty stones for yer!" He loaded them unto the table.

"Wow! I see yer guest is finally woken! How ya doin little lady? I'm Zackarie Mole. Mole's well devoted partner and coosin!" Before the confused girl could introduce herself, a familiar looking face walks into the room.

"Hey! Lady Hitomi! I see your awake! And you've met my lovely wife and cousin!" Hitomi finally got the chance to speak. The whole lot of them are just starring at her waiting for her reaction.

"Hello, to all of you. I'm just very confused. I'm sorry, I have no idea how I got here. Are we in Fanelia? When can I see Van?"

"Whoa Little lady! Just calm down a bit! We will leave in about an hours time, don't fret. Petunia sent a message ahead telling King Van we have a gift for him. He'll be expecting us round dinner time. Petunia will get you ready, go with her and I'll meet you at the entrance of the cave in one hour!" Hitomi doesn't question anything further. She wants to see Van as soon as possible. The fat mole woman grabs Hitomi's arm and drags her to their little water hole. The pain that was beginning to surge through her arm reminded her of Yukari and the way they had left things. Right then and there she promised herself she would find a way to bring Yukari to Gaea, no matter how much time went into it. She needs Yukari there with her.

When the sixty minutes had finally gone by, Hitomi walks out to the Mole Man. While Hitomi had been bathing, Petunia had taken the time to fix up one of her dresses for Hitomi. Making it skinnier in the waist and longer on the bottom. Hitomi looked gorgeous. Her hair tied in a bun making her features look much older than seventeen. A long rose colored gown hugs her sides while the bottom half has a few freshly picked petunia's and daisy's attached. Not Hitomi's best color or taste but she doesn't care. She just wants to see Van. The Mole Man quickly helps the cleaned up girl onto the horse like beast so she won't get her dress dirty. He takes the reigns in his hands and they start walking. Petunia waves goodbye to her new found friend and then quickly huddles back into her home.

The two travelers have been walking for hours. The Mole Man now sure his wife is completely out of site, stops the horse.

"Would you get down for a moment Hitomi, I uh, have something for you." He pulls out something silky of the traveling bag attached to the horse.

"Here little lady. Put this on in the bushes. I won't have you wearing that meeting King Van for the first time in two years." She takes the dress from his hands and lets it drape in front of her. It's a wonderful baby blue silk dress. A low v-neck collar and long sleeves.

"Mr. Mole...I can't accept this! It must have cost you a fortune!" He just shakes his head and laughs at his own wit.

"Your right! I'm wouldn't be able to afford such a beautiful thing, but I informed Miss Millerna of your arrival and so her majesty and Lady Celena bought this for you and sent it to me. I love my dear Petunia but she's not the best seamstress." The flattered girl just giggles and quickly changes behind a bush. When she comes out she quickly gets back on the horse with Petunia's dress in hand. She will never forget the kindness that Miss Mole showed.

A few more hours go hours go by and Hitomi has long ago fallen asleep on the horse like creature. They walk up a hill, on the other the castle gleams in the setting sun.

"Phewf! Almost there Miss Hitomi, you better wake up. I can't wait to see King Van's face!" All the poor embarrassed girl can do is blush. Then bad thoughts come to her mind. "What if he doesn't recognize me? What if he doesn't even remember who I am? What if he's married! No that can't be, I would have heard about it. Somehow he would have told her." She honestly doesn't know what to think. She would find out all her answers soon enough.

Jordan had fallen asleep before dinner. He had never worked so hard in his life. Van worked him to the bone and then some. But Jordan was far from the angel king's mind. He was more interested on what the Moles were giving him. He had never gotten a gift so big that it needed it's own horse. "It must be something special." He thought to himself. He knew all to well he was being selfish. But he couldn't help it. It took his mind off Hitomi and his re-occurring dream.

Minutes go by but it seems like hours to Van. He's sitting alone in the throne room tapping his fingers on his sword sheath.

"A watch pot never boils!" A woman's voice comes from the shadows. Van jumps three feet in the air as anger fills his face.

"MERLE! Don't scare me like that!" Merle also has no idea of what is coming. She just finds it amusing to watch her king brother ponder. She runs away before he can grab her.

"Ugh...I'm too tired to run after her right now." He looks out the window to see the suns position. "It's dinner time...where could they be?" He's about to exit and wait for his mole friend outside, but is stopped when he hears a long ear throbbing scream go through the halls. He quickly runs to where Merle ran, and finds her licking some lady's face.

"Merle what are doing? I thought you were in trouble or something!" Merle quickly pulls away and hugs the boggled boy.

"Look who it is Lord Van! Look what the gift is." He pulls himself form the feline's arms and walks over to the beauty in blue. He takes in a deep breath and goes bright red. The girl facing him does the same.

"Hi Van..." She whispers, he just stands there in disbelief. His heart half way up his throat, gawking at the site in front of him. He finally speaks but scares everyone as he shouts,

"Hi-Hitomi!"