Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ When We Meet Again *~* ❯ Making Memories ( Chapter 1 )

It's my first entry since I've returned.
Pictures of the greatest times are locked in my memory. Those good times... the best really. Funny you always want material things for the joy of having them, and if you can't you're in a fit. But my greatest memories don't involve money or materialistic gifts. Just people. Well not so much people, but friends to be exact. So if someone can't have their friends any longer, would you call their anger selfish? Or would you call it love? If one is so intent to stay with the companions they've journeyed the greatest aspects of life with, who had the right to break that bond?
I've realized that there are many things to think about.
I think about what I'll lose, or better yet, what I'm losing.
I think about the trials and mistakes I have endured... but that is nothing compared to the happiness and friendship I thrive upon...
I think about all the lessons I have learned and all of the care I have earned. I remember those good times. Why do they pass so quickly?
I think about those memorable days, and the desire to be there again.
I think about what I'll miss, or am missing. I think about the importance of the end result.
Could I really start again with just one block when I had almost finished an empire?
I think about Van, as I always do, just differently.
Could it have been?
How will I ever know... I can't.
My emotions, my memories, my life is hanging on the line.
Where will it all fall?
There are too many things to think about, but there are even more to cry about.

1.) Making Memories

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?"

Hitomi sighed and tried to get a looser grip on the steering wheel. She had it grasped so tightly the leather straps began to dig increasingly into the palms of her hands. As absolutely cluttered as her mind felt, she had to do her utmost best to focus and relax just a little more.

"Yeah… I'm fine, don't worry about it." She glanced over at her fiancé giving him a reassuring smile. He was always so thoughtful. She directed her eyes to the road once again, a weary eye out for traffic. Oh those taxi cabs. They were just everywhere! No matter what direction on whatever lane she took, it seemed there was just another one of those arrogant yellow monsters to rudely cut her off. The streets are for sharing you know…

"Hitomi, seriously, I'm worried about you." Amano gently rested his hand on her tense shoulder. "Maybe it's just too early to be driving again… you know… seeing as you just had a 'vision' and all. That isn't normal…. You should be resting."

Hitomi drew in a breath only to let it come out in a long sigh… psychic or not she could fore-tell what was coming.

"Maybe you should see someone about it."

Her grip on the wheel grew even tighter, even though that didn't seem possible before. "NO Amano, NO… if seeing Dr. Teroka is what you mean, you know I'm not in for that."

Amano smiled understanding. "No, not him… I know how much you can't stand psychiatrists. After all, you do call them 'moronic brain-washers'."

A grin flashed upon her face. "Ha, Amano, you know me too well. What do you suggest I should do? So far, you're the only one that knows."

"Well," he brushed back his long chestnut bangs. "You do usually talk to your mother about these things don't you?"

Even though she had them peeled to the road, Hitomi couldn't help but let her eyes encircle in a full "eye-rolling" at that specific remark.

"Dammit Amano, she's the one that forced me to see a shrink for three years… think about it!"

"Well, I know that… but still… she's your mother. Mrs. Kanzaki considers you to be her first priority. You haven't had a vision like this in years… it is of some importance that you tell her, isn't it?"

Hitomi refused to answer for a second. She was much more concentrated on making the left turn at Upper James. Only until after the car took on it's new direction and she had shut off the signal lights did she bother to reply "no".

Her mother, ha. That was a lame joke all right. After the heck her mother's put her through on being "crazy" and needing to see a bunch of counselors and crap, did he actually believe she would tell her about this dream? Not likely.

Dream… Hitomi sighed quietly. Gosh, she hoped it was a dream. But Hitomi knew dreams weren't anywhere near as realistic as 'that' had been. The images, the sounds, everything that had been portrayed seemed just so true to life, as if it had happened before, or was bound to happen. This ' dream' had been almost frightening to be honest. Her eyes fell upon the oval shaped pendant, glimmering like a ruby, lying upon her neck. Could that thing be affecting any of these strange so-called-visions?

Nonsense.

Just nonsense. When had she started believing in her 'magic' pendant again? That was just foolish! It was nothing but a beautiful diamond like pendant in the unique tone of ruby, beautiful and unique, an heirloom from her grandmother, but certainly not 'magic'. It was insane to believe it could do anything….

Flashbacks.

Hitomi tried to blink away the images coming back…. Coming back from the "time". Oh not that again… couldn't she go a day without thinking about it??? That stupid pointless "time" long, long ago, when she was like 15 or 14… that mysterious time where she had seemingly vanished for four whole months. The same time her mother was convinced Hitomi had lost all senses. The same time she was assigned to a personal psychiatrist and taken out of schooling for a year in hopes to make progress in her sessions. The same time where she would spend endless nights confused on what had happened or what was happening. Endless nights studying the stars in a vain attempt to catch a glimpse of a different planet, one that lay vivid in her mind, but yet she never did. The same time she was ridiculed by just about everyone she knew, harsh words uttered at her face, police lecturing her about the searches and everything they conducted on trying to find her. Sometimes, just sometimes, it was these factors that she questioned. Did she really stop believing? Did she really just "forget" that time because her parents told her to? Did everything lose its meaning because she was "told" it wasn't real? But still, what if it wasn't her imagination or her hallucinations… But even now… exactly five years later, away from the counseling, the ridicule, the confusion, even now…. There was still…. "what if?"

Gosh, even though her mind at the moment seemed entirely concentrated on the taillights of the Honda ahead of her, her mind was a whisk on an array of thoughts, trying to steer clear of that four-month-void and back to that vivid dream. Just how long had it been since one of these visions anyhow? Maybe, three, no actually four years now! She had forgotten how absolutely stunning they were. She could already feel the goose bumps crawling up her skin at the very thought.

"Well… it's two months away and my mother is already ecstatic about the wedding…" Amano lazily gazed out the window, in a desperate attempt to change the topic. "I think she's been secretly designing invitation cards already!"

Hitomi grinned, loosening her grip on the wheel. "Well, what's so wrong with that? We all know how talented your mother is with computer graphics…"

"Yeah but still, its dangerous having her TOO involved."

"Oh come on," Hitomi laughed. "I'm so glad she's backing us up 100% on this!"

"Yeah true, strange though, my mother's doing the financial stuff and my dad's going out looking for a wedding planner and florists!"

"Ah, like traded roles! Don't worry… together, they'll be a spectacular team."

Hitomi pulled up to the driveway of Meadow Gardens Apartments, drifting away on daydreams of the wedding to come. As for her own family and wedding plans, her mother had promised to look over the bridal magazines this Saturday with her. Oh the dress, that beautiful white gown of fluff. A flutter of excitement overwhelmed her for a second.

"Oh Amano, I wish it were sooner… tomorrow even! Why wait a stupid month or two…"

"Hey I love you too," he softly replied glancing at her big-green earnest eyes. "But the bigger the better, and we'll need loads of time to make this the best day of our lives, not to mention money."

Hitomi smiled, she knew she had to be rational about the whole thing… but still!! The flowers, the music, the family… and Amano… how perfect!! She was starting to get all antsy about the whole thing! The whole "Mrs. Hitomi Nekuchi" thing. It at least got her mind off "thinking". She hated having her mind so absorbed with the "past". She had a wedding to look forward to dammit.

She pushed the gears to "park" and walked out into the gloomy apartment garage. The echo of the doors slamming rang through the basement halls.

"Ahhh… it will sure be something when we actually can share the same home!" Amano stretched his arms high above his head, yawning a bit having been out all day.

Hitomi rushed over to her one and only and wrapped her arms round his waist. "I can't wait waking to you each and every morning!"

Amano lovingly embraced her, looking down to those deep forest-green eyes. He really couldn't explain all that he saw in them; it was such a strong love, love that stretched out in acres of infinity, beyond all senses and all levels of reality, into the depths of passion and human love and care. Memories, memories lay in her eyes. He could remember as well, remember her from long before, when they first met, their first kiss, the first second he knew he was in love. Moments, dear treasured moments lay dormant in those glimmering emerald beauties, and he allowed those mystic eyes to just lure him away….

This all summoned up in the girl he held in his arms.

"Neither can I…" he softly whispered, drawing her near. Closer and closer, till soft lips may touch, sealing their eternal love in a silent kiss.

She gripped him close, why did he have to leave? This always seemed to be the hardest part of her day! And yet, she refused to let go and tucked her head under his chin, feeling his warmth surround her, listening to the faint beats in his loving heart.

Here. Protected.

Without him, she feared. She feared for another crazy vision, another lecture from her mother, and another demand from her work. In other words, it was just plain difficult to be happy without Amano. If she were crazy, it was only for him.

"Oh Amano…." Closer, tighter.

He smiled down at her, not wishing to let go as well. She could feel her little heart pound by his, could feel the gentle care that seemed to radiate from her graceful arms, enwrapped at his side. It seemed an eternal moment all to themselves.

-BEEP BEEP - BEEP BEEP

Hitomi looked in dismay at her watch. Argh… she should have been home already, or else she would leave her new roommate, Cathy, absolutely stranded in front of their apartment.

"Oh right, Cathy, I guess you'll be needing this." Amano regretfully let go of Hitomi to scrounge up Hitomi's spare key from his pocket.

"Here you go, I guess I'll just buzz you from now on!"

Hitomi took the key smiling at Amano. "Are you kidding? I'd make you a copy, but we'll be long gone from here in our own little house before you could use it!"

"Oh that's right, I almost forgot…"

Leaning over Amano gave her another sweet butterfly kiss on the cheek, and gave a kind wave as he re-entered his car. She stood quietly, watching as he slowly backed out, eyeing him closely. He didn't forget did he??

"I love you…" he mouthed right as his vehicle was close to pulling away. Her heart skipped a beat. Guess he didn't!

"I love you too!!" She waved along until the she could no longer make out the rear lights of the car as it drove on down Upper Wentworth, on to Amano's place clear across town.

Already, it was like a giant void. A giant irreplaceable treasure stolen away from her, leaving her with nothing but dull, unfilled space. She sighed sullenly, longing to travel back a minute or two, just long enough to be in his arms again.

Hitomi glanced down at her sparkling engagement ring. It glimmered the words "forever" and the thought danced in her mind. It was perfect. Absolute perfection. There was a road to happiness, and after long, she had finally found it.

Odd.

That was odd. Hitomi found the hallway by her apartment entirely empty. Maybe she had beat Cathy after all. Although… with all that time she had used up in that sort-of-driving lesson with Amano, how could she have possibly pulled that off?

Sighing, Hitomi flipped through the letters in the mail… surprised to see that two of them were already addressed to Cathy Corain… geeze…. That was quite fast… the girl had only moved in last weekend after all. Sigh… and then there were those bills, bills and more bills… how on earth does a month stretch by so quickly?

She slowed down approaching 5B, her home, scrimmaging through her purse, eyeing round for her keys. Finally spotting them she turned the key in the hole, just about to open the door when all of sudden surprised to see the chain locked from the inside, locking her out!

What?!?

"Uh… Hello??????"

She struggled with the door; positive it was locked from inside. She stood still, and listened to the clatter of pans and the pit-pat of slippered feet edging towards the door.

"Hitomi! You're home!" a cheerful voice sung from in the apartment, taking a moment for Hitomi to familiarize with it, realizing it was Cathy after all.

The young student fiddled with the chain and opened the door happy to see her new roommate finally arrive.

"Uh…." Hitomi was at a loss for words. She was just about to wonder how the heck Cathy had managed to get inside with a lack of keys, but she was a little too caught up in how clean her house was!

'Omigosh'… she sighed to herself. 'She cleaned the whole place now didn't she….' Hitomi stood frustrated. The place had been an absolute pig-sty when she had left!! Hitomi had lazily strewn clothes and paper work across tables, chairs, floors, basically anything with surface. Now… if she had known that her roomy was panning to clean it all up… she would've cleaned up herself and not look so totally embarrassed at the moment.

"Oh gosh… thank you!" Hitomi looked in awe at the tiny dark-haired woman standing proudly dressed in PJ's and holding onto a mop.

"It was my pleasure! If you need anything, I put all your things together in your room… oh yes, and the kitchen's still a little slippery." Grinning, almost overflowing with glee, she continued to fill up a giant bucket (which Hitomi had thought she lost in that giant catastrophe of a storage closet-which Cathy mostly likely cleaned out too) with gallons of soapy water.

How the heck does that girl manage to do all this work and still be perky? Hitomi couldn't help but wonder. She smiled admiringly; if only she had the same endurance for life. She could still remember that one time she had 'attempted' to clean out the storage closet, only to wind up stressed out to the utmost highest and thrusting shoes, lamps and what-nots back into the heap of junk they were originally a part of.

"Dang girl, you really didn't have to do this!" Hitomi hung up her leather coat in the newly organized shoe closet, relieved to see that at least Cathy was fitting in quite nicely.

"Oh and Hitomi…" Cathy emerged again from the newly mopped kitchen tying up her long brown hair high above her head. "If you were wondering… the door was open when I got here! I was worried for awhile… so that's why I stuck around and waited for you to get home."

"Oh my gosh, that's right! You have to head back to the school now don't you? Gosh, I can't believe I made you wait… I must've forgotten about the door, uh, I left in a kind of rush this morning…"

Grinning Cathy replied, "Anxious date huh?"

Hitomi smiled, "Amano couldn't wait if you paid him."

Cathy started to pile away her cleaning utensils; the dozens of mops, brooms, rags, vacuums, dusters and all sorts back into the cabinets.

"So how did the driving go?"

"Alright, I guess, my mind was a little off though…"

"Yeah," Cathy nodded. "Today was a gloomy day, said to probably rain tonight."

"Oh really?" Hitomi glanced out at the forming clouds through her newly waxed windows. "When are you getting home from your school?"

"Oh… in maybe an hour or two… I just have to drop by Becky's, I promised I'd fetch her a math book too, since she's still kinda sickly."

"How nice of you, you get that a lot now don't you?"

"Nah," Cathy laughed. "I owe Beck a lot anyhow. So you get some rest now, ok, Hitomi?"

"Sure… now that I can do."

Smiling, the two girls got themselves ready, Cathy to return to the University to pick up some more textbooks, and Hitomi to slip into some PJs and spend the rest of the night by the television. She hadn't bothered to mention the real reason she had been in such a hurry this morning, she hadn't known Catherine long enough to be comfortable discussing something as unlikely as a vision.

Hitomi handed her the spare key, and guided her out the door.

"Want me to pick us up some pizza on the way back?"

"Nah I'm fine, but take some for yourself, I'm too tired to stay up for much longer."

Locking the door, she then collapsed onto a chair. Ah…. Alone at last… she did need a good old time like this for herself. Apart from the concerns of the world, just absorbed in relaxation and being home. And now, she had a clean house for once to top all that! Gosh, that Corain girl was just too nice.

Author's Notes:
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