Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Together Yoyokagirini ❯ A fading image ( Chapter 1 )

Escaflowne: Together Yoyokagirinaku (Forever and ever)

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne, so don't sue me!

Hi everyone, and here is chapter 2 for you! Thank you all for the reviews! Please review and enjoy this story!!! If there's any mistake, just tell me. Oh and to FritzyLuna, thanks for pointing that out. I guess I got mixed up with sensei and sempai. I'll fix up in a jiff. Thanks again.

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In the halls of a Japanese Style castle, a cat-girl walked along the quiet dark halls of the castle, looking around curiously like the cat she is. Every second, she would be always opening doors and peering through them to seek inside, yet her face held sadness and kept on searching. She sighed in the quiet halls of the late afternoon, trying to find a certain person who she worried about. "Lord Van, where are you?" called the cat-girl, looking around and around. "I can't find him anywhere."

After searching the whole rooms of the castle, the cat-girl went down the stairs to throne room to find a Knight with long blonde hair standing there, looking straight and sharp as ever. Her hopes started to come again when she ran on all fours to the Knight in his Blue and White suit, standing beside him. "Allen, have you seen Lord Van?" asked the cat-girl with a curious look.

Sadly, the Knight of Cali shook his head. "No, no sign of Van anywhere, Merle. His advisors keep on asking me the same question. Where is King Van?"

"I'm sorry for their annoyance," said Merle, bowing her head apologetically. "They are such worry warts when Lord Van keeps on going off somewhere without telling them."

"You should talk. You're also the worry wart is worried about Van," pointed Allen.

"Yeah, that's true. But at least I trust were he is going." Her ears flapped down. "But, I don't know where is he right now. The last time, he said he would be out near the lake. I checked there three hours ago, and he wasn't there."

Allen sighed. "He probably went out flying Merle. You know how he is now. He would always space out and look into the Mystic Moon, wondering about Hitomi."

Merle nodded in agreement. True that Van is thinking about Hitomi so much. He rarely smiled when she left. He was not acting cold or ill-tempered, but more of a fake happiness and depression. He is showing only the fakeness of his empty soul that holds so much of his sadness and sorrow. He truly missed Hitomi for all the heart.

"But, I miss Hitomi too. She's always here and lightens everyone's day," admitted Merle. "It's no fun shopping without her around."

"Same here, Merle, same here," said Allen, agreeing with Merle.

From that lingering moment, a Fanelian Samurai suddenly burst into the Entrance of the castle, heading into the throne room where Merle and Allen stood. The doors suddenly burst and slammed against the door, making Allen cautious and Merle stepping behind him.

"Lord Allen! Something is wrong with the King!!" said the Samurai, with a worried expression on his face. The words struck Merle and Allen true, their eyes widening with worry and surprise.

"What is it? What's wrong with Lord Van?!" asked Merle desperately. "Come on, tell us!"

The samurai shook his head. "I don't know. Sir Gaddes told me to come running here to get you and Sir Allen. He said to come there quickly, Sir Allen."

"Right," he said, dashing towards the entrance. "Where is Gaddes right now?"

"He is right over at the castle's gates!" said the samurai.

With a nod, Allen ran as fast as he can to the entrance. Merle whirled and looked at the Fanelian Samurai. "Do not tell the advisors about this. Or a commotion will start," she said and started to follow Allen hurriedly.

"Yes, mistress," he said bowing down and quickly informing only the samurai in any case of a surprise attack.

*Flash*

Allen and Merle reached the castle's gates only to find Gaddes and the other Crusade crew gathering in circles, the Fanelian gates closed from the public. Swiftly, Merle broke through the circle. When she reached the front, she found Van lying there on the cobbled floor, his body full of sweat perspiration, his face showing pain and sorrow. "Lord Van!!" yelled Merle, coming to Van's side. "What happened to him Gaddes?"

Gaddes came into view with Allen and kneeled next to Merle. "He just collapsed all of a sudden."

"Collapsed?" asked Allen questioningly.

"Fortunately, Kio saw him coming through the castle gates until suddenly he went like this," said Gaddes, pointing at Van's shaking body. "He looks as though he's been traumatized or something."

"Quick, Kio! Get the healer right away!" ordered Allen.

"Yes sir!" said Kio as he dashed to the right side of the castle.

"Gaddes, help me lift Van to his room. We have to do this quickly!"

"Right, boss!"

Merle looked on with worried eyes, trying to comfort Van's paining body. "Please Lord Van. Hang in there! Help is on the way!"

No answer came. Only the sounds of his painful grunt and shivers that indicate something is wrong with him. "H…H…Hito…mi…" he said painfully.

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Chapter 2- A fading image…

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Hitomi let out a loud yell in her apartment home, sweat streaking down swiftly her cheek. She started to pant uneasily, trying to catch her anxious breath. Easing down, she drew her hand to her damp forehead, holding it as she tried to massage the headache in her head. "What was that all about?" said Hitomi to herself, her breath returning to normal. "Is it just a dream or a vision?"

Slowly, she stood up from her bed, and started to open her window, letting the winds sooth her perspiring body. She closed her eyes, letting the wind blow her honey brown hair. These kinds of winds reminded her of Van, remembering those words that he said to her on that day on the track. "…Van…" she said, looking up into the moon above.

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Morning soon has arrived in Tokyo, Japan, its beautiful street lights fading away as the sun hit the sidewalks of the tall buildings and the small and cozy houses. The train station has finally opened and people started to hustle in for their busy day. Among the crowd, Hitomi walked along the crowd with her headphones on listening to music. In her right shoulder, she clutched her duffel bag tenderly in arms.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Train E leading to Kawasaki has finally arrived. Please watch your steps and please have a safe journey."

Hitomi walked quickly to Train E and sat on a seat near the window, still listening to her music. The train station leading to Kawasaki, where her family lives, will take two hours or so, and Hitomi just finished another school year in Tokyo University. Right now, it is another month or so vacation, and she is now visiting her family.

Two years have passed on and Hitomi became a smart and dependable student who magnificently aced Tokyo U's entrance exam. With her friends Yukari and Amano with her at Tokyo U, she is never lonely, even though she is lonely in truth. And through those very years, Hitomi have grown into a fine, beautiful young woman. Even though she didn't reach the age of 18 yet (Answer: her birthday's on April, I think, so this would explain she's not eighteen yet since it's only March in this time line and in the beginning of this story, she's only 15 still, as a junior or sophomore or something since High School in Japan only has 3 years. So I hope this would explain stuff.), she is still an adolescence who has a mind of young adult. Her figure is more defined and she grew her short honey brown hair down to her waist. Even though she is captivated in her studies, she would go out with her friend Yukari and go down and shop all the things in clothes stores, music, video games, and Anime. Not to mention a low down on food like burgers, fries, ice cream, pizza, noodle soup, and even some pretzels and hot dogs. Yet, with all the stuff she is eating and her height of 5'5", she is still skinny as a pole due to her fast metabolism due to running track in Tokyo U.

Hitomi sat there, listening to her music and reading a book, not paying attention to the surroundings around her. Often, many guys would hit on her, try asking her out on dates or studying groups with her stylish clothes like denim skirts that reached up above her knees with crossed-hatched spaghetti strap shirts. But, she declined fervently and went on doing her business as becoming a fitful computer technician or an Anime Animator.

Past the hour, Hitomi closed the book and put it back in her bag. She took off her headphones and sighed tiredly. "Now I can finally take a break," she said, turning to view the ocean. During the morning, she had a rough one. After waking late from waking from a dream in the middle of the night, she hurriedly took a shower, dressed up, and packed everything she is going bring to home, grabbing souvenirs from Tokyo Disneyland in her bag for he kid brother, Mamoru. She even packed her study books and art supplies in any case for practice. Then, after grabbing her duffel bag, she went around and checked everything in her small apartment, making sure everything is unplugged and the doors are locked. She ran out the door, locked it, and ran to grab a bit to eat from the nearest restaurant. After that, she ran towards the station, finally calming down after she made it just in time. It was a rough morning for her, yet all turned out well.

"What could the dream mean?" she said silently, holding her mini backpack purse. Slowly, she opened it and looked into the purse to take out a single white feather, the same feather that lost its glow when she held it the first time. The clues of the white feather and black feather were never figured out. Hitomi let that aside and worried about her studies during the meantime of her high school years. Sometimes, the puzzle would likely fill her mind, yet was easily passed when she thought about the one person she cared for. Van.

She twirled the feather gently in her grasps, looking at its pearly white lightness matching the light of the sun. "Van…I wonder how you are doing right now?"

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Two Hours Later…in Kawasaki…(Unknown of where she lived in Japan, so I just say she lives in Kawasaki.)

"I'm home!!" called Hitomi, opening the front door of her familiar house.

"Hitomi-chan? Is that you?" said a voice from the kitchen.

"Yes, mom, it's me!" said Hitomi, slipping out of her shoes.

A huge, thunderous sound started to be heard from upstairs, a sound that only meant one thing. Whirling around from the turn of the stairs, 10-year-old Mamoru came running down, with a huge excited smile plastered on his face. "Sis!! You're back!!" said Mamoru joyously as he ran into his sister's waiting arms, hugging her tightly and lovingly as ever.

"Yes, I'm back. See, I promised you I'd be back," said Hitomi, smiling. "Oh, and I got something for you." She looked into her backpack to take out a Disney Souvenir.

"Wow!! Thanks Sis!" said Mamoru happily, hugging her once again. "Come on, Mom made our favorite food! Just the way we like it right?"'

"Right, just the way we like it," said Hitomi with a smile, holding Mamoru's hand and letting him lead her to the dining room. Hitomi's mother turned around and smiled at her daughter.

"Welcome home, Hitomi," she said, hugging her lovingly in her arms.

"Thanks, mom. It's great to see you two," she said. One year ago, her father died during a car accident in the upper regains of the hill near his work. Apparently it was raining, and he was driving fast to reach his family's reunion ceremony. The car slipped and tumbled down to the ground below, killing her father instantly in matter of minutes. It was a sad day for Hitomi, her brother, and her mother and it soon turned back to normal after a while. Her mother still moans for him, yet she is moving on perfectly.

The three sat down in the dining room in their pillow seats and they began to eat their food, somehow silent. Hitomi smiled at the taste of her mother's cooking, remembering how much it is so moist and good in her mouth. She remembered that she would always help her mom out with the baking goods when she was a little girl, remembering how she would always lick the chocolate out of the bowl when they are making brownies, and how she would always cook Chinese Food whenever convenient. Happily, she ate the food within minutes, full to the stomach.

"Hitomi, how is college in Tokyo U?" asked her mother, after finishing her meal.

"It is going great, mom. I'm getting straight A's on my grades and I'm doing well with my work."

"Did you make sure you go out sometimes?"

"Of course mom. Me, Yukari, and Amano went to Tokyo Disneyland, went to the beaches, go shopping, and eat outside. Everything seems so nice over at Tokyo."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked bluntly, looking intently into Hitomi's eyes.

Hitomi froze as she looked into space, her mouth moving, but there were no words coming out of her mouth. "N-no…I don't have any…yet," she said sadly.

"I'm sorry if I brought it up, honey. But I'm just worried about you. You're alone in the apartment without anyone to talk to. And I know Yukari and Amano are there always."

"Mom, I don't want to discuss this right now. I had a long trip ahead today, and I just want to rest for a bit," said Hitomi.

"All right, I understand. Feel free to use my car anytime you want to think," offered her mom with a smile.

"Thanks, mom. But I'll rest up a bit," she said, gathering her empty, dirty plates to the kitchen.

"Okay, have good rest, sweetheart."

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After helping her mom out with cleaning, Hitomi went up to her room and opened the door, recognizing the room after so long of isolation from it. Everything is still the same, except the new pictures of Yukari, Amano, and herself and the many awards she had with her outstanding efforts. Slowly, she lay and sank into her comfortable bed, feeling relax after so long of a trip from Tokyo to Kawasaki. Easing into her pillow, she slowly closed her eyes and imaged a vision of Van, the very same Van she remembered when she last saw him.

She smiled when she saw his handsome face, seeing his hair swaying with the wind beautifully. She sighed sadly, hoping one day she would go to him back on Gaia.

"I wonder if everyone doing well back on Gaia? Is everyone okay? Is Van okay?" With those reoccurring visions, Hitomi wistfully dazed off and soon, fell asleep.

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Unknown sounds started to consume the whole darkened room. Surrounded and tinted by the dark blue surrounding, Hitomi ran in the dark, running into nowhere particular. Her dream echoed her footsteps along the dark path, revealing no shadow. Only one light lay upon her frail body. Hitomi didn't know why she ran, but her feelings tell her that she needed to run. She felt that she needed to hurry. Hurry for something that she doesn't even know. Somehow, when she spoke, the rings to it were so familiar to her that she began to keep calling that so familiar, one syllable name.

"Van!" she cried urgently, looking around her dark surroundings. "Van, where are you? Van!" Her pace quickened, a light up ahead started to lighten Hitomi's pale face. She smiled, hoping it would be the one she seeks.

The endless run did not stop. She kept on running, running towards the person who she dearly hold and never forget. "Van, wait up!" she yelled, reaching to Van non-stop. The white speck of light formed into a figure, with its wings spread in its back. She knew those wings and her run quickened, her heart racing in time with her speeding feet. "Van, stop please!"

The figure seemed near now, and Hitomi extended her hand towards the figure, trying to turn his back around to look at her. "Van, look at me. It's me, Hitomi!" she said, nearing the walking image.

Slowly, the figure turned around to reveal his brown-reddish eyes, the familiar eyes that Hitomi adores. "Hitomi?" he asked questioningly.

Smiling, she tried to reach him. "Van!" Both of her hands started to extend, waiting to hug the angel. She was now near him, and she jumped to him only to pass by him. Hitomi yelped and landed on the dark ground, her right side hurting her so much.

"What is going on?" she asked. "This never…happened before." Hitomi looked up to see the shock within Van's face. She notice that Van was trying to help her from her fall, yet failed due to his ghost-like physique. He looked into his hands, trying to figure out what was going on. In that very moment, Hitomi noticed how much his image is transparent. His whole entire body was completely tinted as if he was a ghost.

"Van, what's happening to you?" she asked, getting up to touch his ghost-like body, only feeling warm air. "Van…"

Sadly, Van looked into her emerald eyes, showing some kind of pain within him. "Hitomi…I'm fading away."

"Fading away? What do you mean?" she asked questioningly.

"Soon, I'm going to join the stars, and look down on you as you grow while I remain…a memory. A memory fragment that only lingers only in your mind," he said.

"Van, what do you mean that?" she said, more desperately.

"Hitomi…I'm-" His whole silhouetted body disappeared within Hitomi's eyes, making her feel the fear and the shock of being alone. Right in his space, a black feather, similar to the first black feather, drifted down to the ground and vanished into dust.

"Van! Don't go! Van! No!!" she yelled frantically, her voice echoing through the dark halls.

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"Van! No!!" she screamed and suddenly went straight up in her bed. Sweat started to consume her forehead as she breathed in and out uneasily, trying to catch her gasping breath. Tears started to well up in her eyes, striking the pain she is enduring at the point right now. "Oh Van…every moment I think about you, the more worried I am for you," she said, wiping the sweat off her brow. "I better take a walk to get my mind cleared." Slowly, she looked at timer on her nightstand. 3:00 pm. Standing up, she opened the door to hear talking down below, funny talking at least.

Straightening her hair and her wrinkled clothing, she climbed down the stairs to find her brother, watching cartoons as usual. Carefully, she walked towards her brother, who turned around and greeted Hitomi with a smile.

"Mamoru, where's mom?" she asked, heading towards the front door.

"Kaasan went grocery shopping. But she'll be back in 2 hours." Mamoru looked up and notice that his sister is putting on her shoes. "Aneue, where you going?"

Hitomi turned to her brother after lacing her other shoe. "I'm just going to take a walk, Mamoru-chan. We will be all right by yourself?"

Mamoru smiled. "Of course! You can trust me. It's not as if I'm going to hold or party."

"Like you, it's likely going to come," said Hitomi jokingly. "Anyways, don't open the door to anyone and remember to write my messages down. Oh, and please be sure not to get my ice cream in the freezer. I'm going to eat it after I take a walk and I know you would mostly likely eat it, Mamoru-chan."

"Hey, you got me, but be careful, 'kay Aneue?"

"I will, Mamoru-chan. Ja ne," she said with smile and closed the door gently.

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Reoccurring images of Van disappearing kept her mind coming into conclusions onto why his entire being seems so distant and forlorn. Each thought after another keeps her worries up high in regards to him. "Van, I wonder if you're okay," she said, walking along the sidewalks and reaching the train station.

Inside the train, she looked out the window, remembering the time when Van was trying to call her back. "It's obvious. He needed me there. If I wasn't there, he would of died and I would never forgive myself if he did," she said sadly.

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The sun was starting to set when Hitomi reached her old high school. Everything was as it is when she last saw it. The familiar track field with its white, measured lines following the oval shape, its brown dirt still smooth as ever. Up the stairs, the whole campus still looks the same the as last year. She can still remember those times when she had great time in this place, remembering how she helped out with the Annual Sports Fest, and the dances she been to with Yukari and Amano as a single. Yet, it wasn't more precious than the memories of Gaia, the memories of Van Fanel, the last Draconian in the world of Gaia.

Slowly, she sank to her knees and looked worriedly up to the sky, wishing she could hear his voice. "Van…I miss you so much," she said.

"And I miss you too, Hitomi…"

Hitomi stood straight up and looked behind her to see Van, smiling at her. Smiling, she towards him, trying to show how much she misses him so much. Yet, she forgotten that he was just an image and she slowed down her pace, looking intently into Van's ghost-like face. He is more invisible now then before, and his voice seemed more like a whisper now than a regular talk.

"Van, tell me, what is going on with you? Why are you fading away?" she asked, nearing his silhouetted figure.

"I…I don't know," he said softly. "I can barely hear you now, and I can't really see you anymore. It's as if…I'm-"

"Disappearing from me?" finished Hitomi. "But…I promised that I never forget you, and I never did."

"I know you kept your promise, Hitomi, but something is going on," he said, quite reluctantly.

Hitomi looked questioningly at Van's expression and his body, about to disappear before her eyes. She stared intently into his eyes, with a worried expression on her face. "Something…is going on, right Van?" she asked, comprehending the pain inside his mind. He did not answer her question as he looked away reluctantly from her, closing his eyes painfully with his eyes frowning sadly. "Something is going on with you, Van. Tell me, what is it?" she asked.

Fearfully, Van looked into her eyes, a single tear streaking his soft cheek as he neared Hitomi. She could feel his warmth and his scent strongly in her senses. Hitomi knew he was there, but not truly there. "Hitomi, I can't hide anything from you. The truth is…Hitomi that I'm-" His voice seemed to stop in midair as Hitomi could no longer hear his sweet voice. She looked at him and saw that his mouth was still moving.

"No…I can't hear you anymore…what's happening to you Van? Please, I want to hear once more!" she said desperately.

Van's mouth suddenly stopped and he looked sadly into her eyes, showing the more pain he has within his eyes and heart. He couldn't leave Hitomi like this. Slowly, Van leaned into Hitomi's face and lightly kissed her on the cheek.

Hitomi could feel the warmth of his lips, yet she couldn't feel the soft hardness of his lips. Tears started to stream down her eyes as he slowly moved away, his image beginning to fade even more. "No, wait, Van, please," she said pleadingly. "Don't leave me alone like this with you, disappearing from me. Tell me what is wrong."

He shook his head sadly, telling her that she can't with his condition right now. His hands started to dissipate before Hitomi's eyes. "Van, no, please…"

Van looked up into her eyes, and smiled sadly, moving his mouth one last time. "Van…no…don't go…!" His eyes closed suddenly and soon, he disappeared into the now darken sky.

Now, Hitomi is left all alone in the school track field, the warm kiss still lingering on her cheek. She can clearly see that his mouth gestured two words. "Sa…Sayonara…Hitomi. That's what he said to me." Tears are spilling more strongly onto Hitomi's face as she fell to the ground once more, her face completely smothered in her hands. She cried into them, feeling more and more sad. Thinking about the kiss, the warmness, his scent, triggered her to cry more than ever. "Van…" she sobbed. "I need you, Van. I need you here with me. I need here so much. I can't live without you!"

The moon started to rise beyond the horizon, reflecting its luminous glow in the sea below. Stars started to color the plain dark blue sky. From the moment the stars shone, Hitomi laid down on the track field, looking up into the stars to seek for help. "The power of my wishes, the power of the stars, please tell me, even if it's a vision, tell me what is happening to Van. Please give me the power to go back to Gaia to see why is Van disappearing from my vision. I made a promise that I would forget about him, and I never did. Please, help me. Someone help me bring back Van."

*End of Chapter 2- A fading image…

So what do you think? Tell me if there is anything wrong and I'll fix it. Please review and thank you for reading!!