Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Hikari ❯ Chapter 1

Title: Hikari (Light)

Author: Phaedra

Rating: G (Wow, for once I contained my potty mouth!)

Disclaimer: Don't own Esca, either. I promise to return all characters as I found them so please don't sue.

Authors notes: What kind of a fluke is this?? Dunno. I was just inspired by the Esca-muse and was forced to write this. No yaoi, nothing at all objectionable in this in any way. Wow, this really is a first!

~*~

I can't tell you how many times I was asked to retell what I saw that night. I have it down to four sentences now: I saw light, lots of light. And a boy. And a monster. Then they disappeared. I don't know what caused it, I don't know where she went, all I know is that in an instant I lost my best friend.

It all started so innocently; I encouraged her in everything. I don't think I'm particularly self-sacrificing, but for all our lives she had always stepped aside if I wanted something. For once, I could do the same for her. We both loved Amano-sempai; it doesn't even matter who loved him first. With us such trivialities ceased to signify. Anyway, with our history we probably fell in love with him on the same heartbeat.

Hitomi was always gifted with the ability to divine the future in the tarot. There were even times that she would have visions, briefly, of what was to come. I know, because I could feel whenever she was seeing something that hadn't happened yet. On rare occasions I could see what she saw but only in a vague flickering behind my eyes where she saw vibrant pictures. That's how close we were.

I feared graduating with a deep clamoring, gut-wrenching fear. That would mean that she and I would go our opposite ways. We would drift apart. I saw that on my own, I didn't need Hitomi or her cards to clue me in. Our closeness would evaporate and I would never have such a connection with another human being again. We were closer than sisters, I knew in my heart she would always be more important to me than family.

Back to that night; that cool, autumn night. I watched from a distance as Hitomi offered her pendant to Amano. I had told her to do that, to offer her first kiss on the outcome of a race. My heart skipped a beat when I thought he was going to refuse, he stood there in the waning light with out moving for so long, I really thought he would say no. My traitorous heart couldn't decide if I really wanted him to decline or accept.

But he reached out, gently, and clasped the pendant in his hand. I heard Hitomi's overly loud voice thanking him, she was more nervous than she had let on. I made my appearance in a flash of light, it some how precipitated the rest of the evening perfectly. I almost laugh when I think back on it. There was a kind of symmetry to it all, as day deepened into twilight it seemed to shadow the race earlier where Hitomi passed out.

From the moment she left the starting blocks I knew she was going to break the 13-second barrier. There was never any doubt in my mind, there probably wasn't any in hers either. Then the lightning bolt struck the field in front of her and the boy materialized out of the light. For a moment my eyes played tricks on me and Amano-sempai looked taller, his hair gleamed golden in the afterglow of the lightning, and I swear he held a sword. Then he was just regular, normal Amano.

Somehow Hitomi understood what the stranger was saying, although I couldn't fathom what she was saying. Dragon. There were no such things. That's what I used to think at any rate. In another flash of light the track faded into a dense jungle and beast, a dragon managed its bulk out of the undergrowth. It was huge.

Things blurred after that, I remember running, but I wasn't on the track team - I was only the manager. I became winded early and then I fell. Amano hoisted me up on his back, it was broader than it seemed and I melted against him. He had to know what I felt; my whole body betrayed me as it leaped to meet the warmth of him. Hitomi, dear Hitomi, never even noticed. I couldn't help but feel I was betraying her, as silly as it seemed later.

They ran, in tandem, feet falling at the same time and even their breath was in synch. I believe with all my heart that they really were destined for each other, only fate intervened. It was amazing how without knowing each other they were in perfect unison. I felt like the outsider, and for once I was glad of it. Maybe now Hitomi would get the chance she was waiting for.

However, the beast followed us. It charged up the mountain, bounding from torii to torii, the lacquered red wood holding firm under it's enormous bulk. I wanted to scream, the breath welled within me and I can't remember if I ever gave voice to it or not. I must have. As we stood together, contemplating how close death was to us all, I felt the flickers of visions pushing at my eyes. I wanted to demand to know what Hitomi saw but my throat closed around the words and I was stricken silent.

Somehow, impossibly, the boy defeated the dragon. Alien green blood gushed to cover him and my heart beat faster. Something was coming, something was ending. But I didn't know what. I was fighting hard to keep myself from crying, there was no need for tears. Also, I have to admit, I didn't want to look like a silly girl in front of Amano.

Then the light came. It engulfed the strange boy and Hitomi in a pure brightness that hurt the eyes. I found myself unceremoniously dumped to the ground as Amano-sempai ran to rescue Hitomi from whatever it was that was happening. My chest felt overly full, I knew that what he was trying was in vain. In a flash behind my eyes I saw the Earth and the moon hanging full and lambent in the night sky.

Slowly, heartachingly slowly, the beam of light faded. The aftershock from it confused our eyes and made the world seem black and empty for a few moments before they could adjust. In a matter of mere heartbeats we could see again and they were gone. Just gone. As I write this it feels like it happened yesterday, not more than two decades ago. I just got word that she's disappeared again.

I know how it happened. There would have been light, lots of light. And a boy (although he would be a man now). Maybe a monster. Then would have disappeared.

I just don't know if she'll be back this time.