29 September, 2000

Vision of Escaflowne

"The Return"

by: The MOUSE.................................

Ito Kanzaki paced the family sitting room in growing anxiety, mumbling prayers of hope to himself, unable to understand how his wife, Ushida, could sit so calmly at a time like this. His Daughter, Hitomi, had vanished again, mysteriously, just like she had five years prior. It had now been four days and the police still had no news. Only a young boy held a clue to Hitomi's disappearance. Two men had shown up on the school grounds, the younger of the two telling him to bring a single white feather to Hitomi. Then she had run off and vanished.

Who were these men?

Why a feather?

He was so caught up in his pacing and silent questioning that he never heard the knock at the house's front door.

"Dad?"

Ito turned to face his youngest child, his Son. "Yes, Tai, what is it?"

"There's someone here who wants to see all of us. He says he's a friend of Hitomi's."

Ushida straightened with a smile. "Show him in, Tai."

He returned moments later leading a young dark haired man dressed in a strange dark blue uniform. He walked tall and proud, his red brown eyes sharp and attentive to everything around him. He bowed slightly from the waist to Ito and Ushida.

"Kanzaki-sama, Kanzaki-san, it is an honor for me to finally meet you. Hitomi speaks very highly of you."

"Speaks?" Ito stuck on the word. "Hitomi's still alive?"

The young man smiled. "Of course she is, and well. She so wants you to be with her right now. I'm here to bring you to her."

"You are?"

"Yes."

"Is she far from here?"

"Mm, quite far, yes."

"Then we need to pack…"

The dark haired youth chuckled. "No, you don't need to bring anything. Everything will be provided for you there. All I need you to do, all three of you, is to stand here, together, and think of Hitomi. I'll handle the rest."

Confused, but almost desperate to see Hitomi alive and safe, they complied. Ito was about to inquire as to the purpose of this silent meditation or whether the young man was completely mad when the living room suddenly seemed to explode in a blue white light. Unable to move out of this light the Kanzaki family began to panic. Mere seconds passed as their home faded from sight only to be replaced by gilded walls, polished floors and rich curtains of an immense room.

Ushida turned in place, taking in her new surroundings in sheer awe. "Where are we?" she breathed.

The young man looked around almost casually. "The main reception hall." he answered.

Tai went to one of the windows in curiosity and froze in shock at the sight. "Mom! Dad! There're two moons in the sky!" he exclaimed.

Ito rounded on the youth that had somehow brought them here. "Where exactly are we?" he demanded.

"In the city of Fanelia on planet Gaia." he replied simply.

Ito was stunned. "Fanelia…? Planet Gaia…?"

"This is Hitomi's story!" Tai exclaimed in growing excitement.

The young man smiled. "Ah, so she told you everything that happened here five years ago. Good, that saves a lot on explanations." He cocked his head to the side with his eyes closed as if suddenly feeling something. He smiled before looking at the Kanzaki family again. "Come, Hitomi's waiting for us in my study."

Mildly confused by everything going on, the Kanzaki family followed the young man out of the reception hall and down numerous maze-like corridors. They couldn't help but notice that each time he passed some armed men, guards no doubt, they would immediately snap to attention. Was he some sort of noble? A Royal? They reached the end of the corridor where a set of double doors lay slightly open. Anxious, fearful calls came from within. The youth in their lead raced into the room where four other individuals were trying to snap Hitomi out of what looked like a trance.

"… fire… it's burning again… so much pain… fighting… death… beware the Princess of Coins…" Hitomi muttered, her eyes glazed.

Ito was going to rush forward to his Daughter, but the youth beat him to her with a muttered curse, carefully cupping Hitomi's face as he kneeled before her.

"Hitomi, what do you see?" the young man coaxed gently.

"… fire… everything's on fire… burning… Fanelia's burning again…" she answered with unseeing eyes.

"Is this the future?" a small, blue eyed boy inquired gently.

"… future… so much pain… fighting… mercenaries… guymelefs… coins… coins falling all around… beware the Princess of Coins…"

The young man kneeling before her frowned slightly. "Princess of Coins?" he questioned.

"… she brings death… death to Fanelia… death to the people… everything's burning… so much pain… dying… the Luce… no, the Luce… he's dying… no…! No, Van!" and her hands snapped up to clutch at her head in an attempt to stop the vision.

The young man placed his hands on hers to gently fold them in her lap, then tipped her face up to him. Tears fell from her eyes and stained her cheeks. Her green eyes blinked as if waking from a dream. The young man very carefully wiped her tears away from her cheeks and eyes.

"Hitomi…?" he questioned softly.

She nodded shakily. "I'm… I'm alright now."

Ito stepped forward and just stared at his Daughter. She wore a gown of blue white velvet, long sleeves covering her arms and shoulders. She looked every bit like a noble lady. He silently noted how she held the young man's hands tightly, as if drawing strength from him. As if suddenly sensing her Father's presence, Hitomi looked up. The young man smiled at the surprised expression that spread across her face.

"As I promised you last night, Hitomi." he told her as he gently tugged her to her feet.

Her family swarmed around the still shaken girl, holding her tight, relieved and elated to find her alive and safe. The bombarded her with a thousand and one questions at once, each demanding explanations to everything they had seen and everything going on around them.

Ushida held her little girl tightly. "Is this really happening to us, Hitomi?" she asked.

"Yes, Mom, it's all real. As real as it was for me five years ago. I'm so glad you're all here. I was hoping you'd someday meet the friends I made here."

"Tell me, that story you told us about Gaia, it really is true? I mean, we're not having some sort of collective dream, right?"

Hitomi smiled gently. "Mom, if this is a dream, then I hope I never wake up." She suddenly turned to the five natives of Gaia standing not far away in polite silence. "Oh, but where are my manners? These are some of my friends here." She abruptly giggled at the youth who had brought her family to her. "You're going to absolutely hate the way I'm going to introduce you to them."

He smirked. "I'll try to contain myself."

She returned the smirk playfully before looking back to her family. "May I introduce His Royal Majesty, Van Slanzar de Fanel, King of Fanelia," Van winced at her words, "… Millerna Aston, Princess of Asturia; Allan Schezar, Caelli Knight of Asturia; Prince Sid, High Duke of Freid; and finally the Lady Merle of Fanelia."

Kanzaki Tai blinked and cocked his head to one side as he stared at Merle with wide eyes. "She's… she's a cat!"

Merle frowned in slight annoyance. "So I am. Want to make something of it?" she demanded in growing annoyance.

Hitomi quickly wrapped her arms around Merle's shoulders to restrain her. "Easy, Merle, he didn't mean anything by it. Tai has just never seen anything like what Gaia has to offer. No one from my world has seen anything like there is here. Remember my reactions the first time I was here."

"Sorry," the young cat said meekly.

Hitomi smiled. "It's alright."

Ito finally recovered his wits from seeing his Daughter on such good terms with Royals and other noble bloods. He shook his head slightly, still not quite sure if he should yet believe his eyes and ears. "Why… Why did they bring you back here, after so many years?" he opted to ask instead.

"I wanted her here." Van answered confidently. "Hitomi helped me slay a dragon on your world and was here before Fanelia was destroyed. I saw her cry when it was burned. It wouldn't have been right to celebrate the completed re-building without her here to celebrate with us. She is a part of Gaia, of Fanelia, as well as a part of her world."

"Is she really that important to you?" Ushida questioned in slight awe.

It was Prince Sid who stepped forward to answer. "Hitomi was a reluctant participant in the Destiny War, but by no means were her contributions to our victory insignificant ones. She urged for communication above all else. When you walked in a moment ago you witness her having a vision. She had many more such visions during the war, warning us of danger rushing to meet us down a certain path. She risked her life so many times to save all of us, selflessly. You ask if she is that important to us. Yes, very much so."

Ito and Ushida were in complete awe that a child, who was probably no older than Tai, had spoke so eloquently and decisively about their Daughter. Hitomi blushed deeply at the words of the blue-eyed Prince, bowing her head humbly. She risked a quick glance to her friends and saw them all smiling in agreement. She felt so greatly honored by their near overwhelming faith and trust in her and of her abilities. A gentle, gloved hand slipped beneath her chin and tipped her face up, shy green eyes meeting ruddy brown. Van was smiling lovingly at her, eliciting a pleasant shiver to race down her spine. Hitomi easily returned his smile. He may have thought she was making it hard for him to resist her, but he certainly didn't make it any easier for her to resist him either.

"This is so cool!" Tai exclaimed abruptly as everything finally sunk in.

Allan gave him a confused look before turning to Hitomi. "Cool?"

She chuckled. "Expresses appreciation for a situation, event, object, so on." she explained. "It's one of the sayings from my world."

Tai was nearly bounding in barely contained excitement at everything. "I want to see those giant walking suits, oh, what did you call them?… Guy-… Guymelefs! Yeah! May I see them? Please?" he pleaded.

Van chuckled in amusement. "I don't see any harm in that. With your permissions of course." he directed to Ito and Ushida.

They blinked in surprise. A noble, a King no less, was asking their permission to do something? It was unheard of on Earth unless the Royal was asking this of another noble. Ushida recovered from her shock before her husband did and nodded silently to the young monarch.

To Be Continued…