Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Back To Nowhere ❯ memories past ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
Back To nowhere
(a post Vision of Escaflowne fan fic)
authored by: bluegreen13

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*disclaimer* all characters belong to the creators of v.o.e. If you don't recognize him/her, the character is obviously mine.
*a/n* send all comments to alex13@emptymail.com. everything is welcome. self insertions, anything. also plese review. even criticisms will do for me. i hope you like my story!
*previously* in chapter 2, old friends, hitmo meets with her friends form the great war. she was pronounced as queen-to-be by van, but unfortunately. . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"A STAR SHALL FALL FROM THE SKY. . .
. . .A KINGDOM IS AT RISK. . .
. . .A GIRL. . . THE MYSTIC MOON. . .
. . .FATES WILL BE DECIDED. . .
. . .AS THE WHEELS OF FORTUNE TURN. . .
. . .EVENTS WILL REPEAT. . .
. . .ESCAFLOWNE SHALL RISE AGAIN. . .
. . .AND SO SHALL THE DEAD. . ."

--->
chapter three: memories past

Hitomi was worried. It was a month after she came back from Gaea.
She was supposed to have had her monthly period already. It was a week late.
"But it can't be," she whispered to herself. "It can't be."
---
Later on that day, Yukari arrived for a visit.
"I am so glad to see you!" Hitomi exclaimed when she opened the door and saw her best friend standing there.
"I'm glad to see you too," Yukari smiled.
"I think I'm pregnant!" she blurted out after they sat down.
Yukari looked at her, obviously debating to herself whether her friend was serious or leading her around. Hitomi obviously sensed this because she said,
"I'm serious Yukari,"
"Oh my God, you are," Yukari looked shocked.
"Aren't you going to say something?!" Hitomi was almost freaking out.
"Well, you and Hiroki are getting married soon," Yukari said, thoughtfully.
"That's the problem Yukari! I mean, not that I've accepted his proposal or anything, but, well, the baby, the baby," Hitomi stammered, "The baby isn't Hiroki's! Hiroki and I, well, we never did it."
"Now, that is a problem," she said after a minute of silence.
"What am I going to do?" Hitomi asked.
"Wait, you're not even sure right? You're not even really sure if you're pregnant or something, right?!" Yukari said.
"Yes! No! Yes! I mean, Yukari, I'm 6 days delayed!" Hitomi cried out.
"But you're still not that sure yet, Hitomi," Yukari reasoned optimistically.
"No, I guess not," Hitomi admitted.
"Well, I guess we have to get those pregnant test thingies," Yukari said.
"I guess," Hitomi echoed.
"Wait, if Hiroki is not the father, then who is?"
Hitomi was dodging that certain question.
"Well, Yukari, remember that guy I told you about in high school?" Hitomi asked.
"What? The French guy?" Yukari asked. "Yeah, he was your 'first love' right?"
She remembered.
"Well, nooooo and yes," Hitomi said hesitantly.
"Huh?"
"He was my first love all right, but he wasn't French," Hitomi swallowed.
"What?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Hitomi said, looking down.
"Try me," Yukari urged.
Hitomi looked at her best friend, debating to herself whether to tell her or not.
"You have to promise to really believe and not doubt me even for a single second," Hitomi looked at her.
"I promise. Hitomi, I'm your best friend."
Hitomi ragged on about Gaea and everything else. Everything that happened when she was first there, and also the 2nd time. She never told Yukari before. She wasn't ready. Besides, she probably wouldn't believe her anyway.
"So, this guy, this Van, was the supposedly French guy?" Yukari cleared.
Hitomi nodded.
"And he was your first love, and he's from a some planet called Gaea?"
Nod.
"And you helped with this Great War they had six years ago?"
Nod.
"And then you meet him again, and both of you are so overjoyed to see each other again that you were totally careless.
Hitomi glares at her but also nods.
"You're right, I don't believe you," Yukari shook her head.
"Yukari!"
"Hitomi! How do you expect me to believe such a story?!" Yukari cried.
"I didn't. I shouldn't have told you. I knew this was going to happen," Hitomi muttered.
Yukari sighed.
"Where do you think could I have gotten such a story?! Do you think I'm crazy?!"
Hitomi did all the reasoning she could until she finally made the other girl believed even just a little bit.
---
They went to the nearest store to buy those instant pregnancy tests.
---
"Positive," Hitomi looked absolutely shocked.
Yukari put a loving arm around her.
"What am I going to do?" she asked as Yukari led to her to the nearest chair.
"Well, you have to tell Hiroki," Yukari said.
"I can't tell him about Van! He'll think I'm a nutcase!"
"Well, you don't have to tell him about Gaea and all that, but you do have to tell him that you're pregnant," Yukari said.
"I know," Hitomi sighed.
---
Hiroki looked at the picture on his desk. It was of him and Hitomi. Oh how he loved her. It was because of her that he was striving to do his best in his job.
Yes, he loved being an architect. The problem was the people he worked for.
He sighed again. That was when he heard the knock on the door. He was surprised to see that it was Hitomi herself.
---
Hitomi found herself standing in front of Hiroki's place the day after confirming her pregnancy.
"Hitomi, what are you doing here?" Hiroki asked.
"We need to talk," Hitomi said, looking down on the floor.
"Sure, come in," Hiroki smiled, oblivious to what was going on.
"If you don't mind, would you like to go for a walk instead?" Hitomi said, still unable to look at Hiroki's face.
"Sure," Hiroki said, closing the door behind him.
"Ummm, were you doing anything?" Hitomi asked, suddenly aware that Hiroki might have had things to do.
"Oh no, nothing," Hiroki said. "Let's go."
He took Hitomi's hand and smiled at her. Hitomi felt even more sick.
They sat together on their favorite bench at the park.
"Hiroki. . ." Hitomi started looking at Hiroki's face.
Hiroki smiled at her again.
"Hiroki, I'm," Hitomi looked down again. "Hiroki I'm pregnant."
There, she said it. Hiroki looked horror-stricken.
"But-but-but, we," Hiroki was stammering, which he usually never did. He was a great speaker. "But how can that be? We-we-we never--"
Hitomi sensed that he refused to believe that she had slept with anther man.
"Hitomi how?" he looked at her straightly.
Hitomi was quiet.
"Who is the father?" Hiroki in monotone asked after a few minutes.
"You don't know him," Hitomi whispered.
"Well, I hope he will be a good father," Hiroki said without feelings, standing up and turning around.
Hitomi burst into tears right after he left.
"Oh Van!" she sobbed, clutching her stomach.
*Why me?* she thought to herself. *Why did all of this have to happen?*
She half expected a white feather to come down fluttering. But she knew that wouldn't happen. She had hurt Van. Now there was no Van. And no Hiroki. And though she was in a place full of people, Hitomi felt more alone than she had ever felt her whole life.

* * * * *

Word was out that the king was heartbroken. The woman he loved left him after the night he announced that she will be queen.
Word was out that he never came out of his room. That he never saw anyone.
Well, that was half true. But his Advisers from the Council still got to see him. And Merle, who, even if he didn't love as he did Hitomi, was his best friend.
"Lord Van," Merle said. "You have to snap back to your normal senses already! The people of Fanelia depend on you!"
"Well, they have to start depending on themselves already," van said simply.
Merle shook her head. For the past month, Van had become more and more impossible to talk to.
As she slipped out of the room, she saw Pascha, the Head Adviser headed to the room.
"Lady Merle," he greeted her, nodding.
"Lord Pascha," Merle returned the acknowledgment.
Pascha partially closed the door behind him.
"I wonder what he could want?" Merle mused to herself.
The partially closed door looked totally inviting.
---
"Your highness," Pascha bowed in front of the king.
"What are you doing here, Lord Pascha?" Van asked.
"The others have chosen me to represent them," Pascha said.
"And, what, may I ask, do you want to say?"
"In behalf of the Council," Pascha started. "Well, your highness, we think that it is time for you to get married."
Van's brow were beginning to meet.
"We think that the Lady Karya is the best choice," Pascha said.
*But Karya has such a cold heart. . .not at al like Hitomi.*
"The marriage preparations are being taken care off right now," Pascha said. "Lady Karya has been sent for."
Van was raged at this.
"How dare you!" he shouted, enraged at his Council. "How dare you arrange this marriage without my consent!"
"Your highness--"Pascha stared.
"I, Van of Fanelia, have decided that I will never marry!" Van cried out.
He opened the door and dashed out of the room.
Merle was taken aback at the surprise. She blushed deeply when she realized that she was caught eavesdropping. But Van just went on walking. Pascha ran after him.
"But who will be heir to the throne?" he asked.
"We will ponder over that problem when the time comes, Pascha," Van said firmly.
They were walking down the hallway. Everyone was hearing their conversation.
"But your highness," said Pascha.
"I will not marry Pascha. I have made my decision," Vans aid looking at Pascha straight in the eyes. "No one, and I mean no one can convince me otherwise."
---
Merle watched as Van headed off. She guessed he was going to the garden where he was last with Hitomi. She thought about following him but decided against it.
*He probably wants to be alone anyway.*
---
Merle was right. Van went to the exact place where he last saw Hitomi. He held the pendant. He wanted to come to her. To let her know that he was thinking about her. That was what he used to always do whenever he felt lonely. It always made him feel better. He held the pendant tightly. He knew that if he wanted, he could even appear before Hitomi. He wondered what she was doing. What she was feeling. But he couldn't bring himself to do that. No way. He ached too much. He saw a splash of tear fall down the pendant. He just shook his head.

* * * * *

Hitomi looked up from her lunch when the doorbell rang. It was a week after her break-up with Hiroki.
That was why she was really surprised to see Hiroki standing in front of her apartment.
"Hey," Hiroki said, forcing a friendly smile.
Hitomi smiled back, "Come in."
"So, how are you?"
"I'm fine," Hitomi answered. "Do you want to eat?"
"No, I've eaten," Hiroki said. "But you can finish your meal if you want to."
Hitomi looked at the clock. Two o'clock. Way past lunchtime
"No, we can talk," she said. "I mean, that is what you came here for, right?"
"Right," Hiroki said.
Hitomi led him tom the living room.
"So?" Hitomi asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"I talked to Yukari," Hiroki said.
"And?"
"She told me about the father. The French guy," Hiroki said.
"And?"
"And how the father doesn't know. And how you don't plan to tell him. And how he can't support the baby," Hiroki said.
This was all obviously very hard for him.
"And?"
"And I wanted to tell you how much of an asshole I think the father is," Hiroki said.
"Oh Hiroki, you didn't have to do that. To come here, you know. . ." Hitomi trailed off.
"Hitomi I still love you!" Hiroki blurted out.
"Oh," Hitomi was silenced.
"Hitomi I still love you," Hiroki said. "And there's still a part of me that's hoping that maybe you feel at least a third of that for me. Hitomi I want to start over."
"Hiroki, you don't really have to," Hitomi said.
"I want to," Hiroki firmly said.
For the first time ever, in the long time that Hitomi had known Hiroki, her heart reached out to his. She remembered her little talk with Millerna. That was when she realized that there was still room for Hiroki in her heart.
*No, I could never love him as much as I loved Van. Or love Hiroki the way I love d him, but I could love him in a different way.*
It was only now that she received the full impact of what Millerna told her. She did love Hiroki and she was willing to give their relationship another chance.
"Hitomi, I want to start over," Hiroki repeated. "That is, if you also want to."

* * * * *

Van cut his palm with a dagger. They were christening the baby, The baby boy he adopted to be heir to the Fanelian throne. He wasn't of royal blood and this sort of blood pact was needed to initiate the baby.
Van watched as the baby's palm was also carefully cut. He held the baby's hand with his own, joining their blood (supposedly^_^, just go along).
He named the baby Kale. Kale, the boy he will raise as his own. The boy was found in the forest by him. He had taken a liking to the boy and that was when he decided to adopt him. To raise him as heir to the throne.
He had made up his mind that he wasn't going to marry and he wasn't backing out on that one. And if he needed to produce an heir, adoption is the next best way. Especially with this little boy with whom he totally felt at ease.

To be continued. . .