Disclaimer: I don't own Van, Hitomi or anything to do with Escaflowne except this story I have written with my own tears sweat and blood. Other fanfic writers, don't take my story or I will eat you.

Warning: This will be a trialsome journey for our Hitomi and Van. I will make them suffer! But that only helps them and you appreciate the happy ending… If there is one (DUN Dun Dunnnnnn… My choice, you deal with it). So on with the show.

Hello everyone who are still hanging on to dear life to the Escaflowne tale. Sorry for taking so long to post this. I have more to this story and hope that you don't curse me for I am going to start updating a lot quicker. For now, all I can say is enjoy the fic.

Going Back

What I want

"Hitomi!"

"What?"

"Geez! You finally answer me! I was calling you at least five or six times already!"

"Sorry, it seems that I got a little distracted. What were you going to say Ukari?"

"Oh Hitomi. What am I going to do with you? But I'll forgive you this time because I have the most incredible news. Guess what!"

"…sigh…It has something to do with Amano…"

"NO its… wait… how did you know?"

"Your face always lights up whenever you have something to talk about that deals with Amano." Hearing this Ukari's face turned a few shades of pink. "Okay okay. Enough with the embarrassment. You've been together for almost three years now. What have you got to tell me that's SO great? Did he ask you to marry you yet?"

"Stop it Hitomi! You're just doing that to embarrass me!" The effect worked, however, because she started to turn a brilliant color of red. "Well, anyway, Amano has invited me to go over to the U.S. during vacation time and watch him run in the International High School Tournament! Squeal"

"That's great Ukari! Wow! I never knew he was that good of a runner! You are very lucky to have snagged that one."

"Yeah I know… Hey wait… Are you making fun of me?"

"No! Seriously! I mean it! You should go and take this opportunity to see the world and meet your boyfriend because I know there's a lot of pent up energy." Hitomi snickered waiting for her friend to react.

"Hey! That's not funny," She pouted, "Well anyway, he said I could bring you along! What do you think of that! Hah!"

All Hitomi could do was let her mouth drop. All the way across the ocean. All the way to America. She always wanted to travel there… But…

"Sorry Ukari… But I'd rather not go. I wouldn't want to spoil your trip with Amano. Plus, I'd feel like the third wheel." Hitomi gave a sad smile but facts were facts. It would be weird to travel around America with your best friend and your ex-crush when you know that all they want to do is make out. With this resolution, Ukari's happy mood seemed to drop down a few degrees.

"No you wouldn't be in the way Hitomi! Plus you need to get out or this place. Come travel with me. I promise it would be fun!" She smiled still hoping that her friend would go with her. She would like to be alone with Amano but she didn't want to abandon her best friend because Hitomi had never abandoned her.

"No Ukari. I'm serious. I want you to go and have fun."

"There's nothing I could do to convince you otherwise?"

"Nope… not a chance."

With that Ukari was torn at being happy and sad. Then she was ashamed with being happy at all. But all Hitomi could do was watch Ukari struggle internally while all she could do was smile. 'I'll be alright. I'll be alone but I will be alright.'

"Oh yeah! Hitomi! You dropped this when you were getting ready for practice. It's pretty; it reminds me of the painting you did in art class a few years ago." She grabbed Hitomi's hand and dropped the necklace on the palm. Hitomi just stared at it because she had forgotten all about it this morning. Looking at the emblem surprised her even more because it had the engraving of Fanalia's dragon crest that was only for the royalty. In other words, only for Van. What was it doing here? Fear, anxiety, pain and uncertainty began to well up in the pit of her stomach.

Seeing the puzzled and pained look on Hitomi's face only bewildered Ukari even more. 'Why was she so surprised to see the necklace?' She had been absolutely positive that Hitomi had someone make it for her to look like the picture she drew. This moment right here was when Ukari felt helpless to comfort, help or console any problems that her friend had because she wasn't part of 'that' world and could never answer her questions. So, thus, she tried to change the subject, to get out of the awkward moment that had settled between them.

"So… Well… I guess then, that only I am leaving tomorrow. I hope to see you at the airport before I leave. I can count on you, right? To see me off?"

Snapping Hitomi out of her reflecting, she retraced what her friend said and then replied.

"Oh… yes, you know you can always count on me. Except for early morning practices of course." They laughed a little.

Distracted enough, Hitomi placed the necklace around her neck. It felt right somehow. Just like when she wore her grandmother's necklace. Laughing both girls walked of the track field. School was cancelled due to the coming break as well as the fact that someone pulled a prank right before the break and the school smelled funny. They got to the point in the road which they had to part ways. They said their goodbyes and left. Hitomi was still brooding on what all this meant. First the dreams, then the stranger named Jikan and now the necklace.

Ukari didn't leave until tomorrow. She had a long night ahead of her.

(Next day)

Hitomi was walking towards the airport where Ukari was going to take off in about an hour. She had been consumed and confused with her own thoughts. Their vacation had barely started and she was going to be left alone for quite some time. Even though she was very popular, she never made a group of friends to hang with her. It was always just Ukari. Who knows how dangerous it was to have her by herself for so long to brood in her thoughts of possibilities that would drive any other person crazy.

"What's going on?"

Walking and pondering and pondering and walking. 'What in the world did all this mean? There has to be something going on, but… what?' She tried once long time ago to feel Van's presence but every time she tried, it felt like she was getting acold shoulder or perhaps… a rejection. This occurred a while ago and it made her feel so bad that she didn't try again after that. Then she was trying to console herself saying that he might of had a bad day. But her other instincts thought maybe something bad had happened to him or that he was hurt. She panicked a little but calmed herself down because she knew Van was stronger than that and she should be too. That was around two years ago.

That conversation with Jikan still resonated in her mind. 'It was lost among water… and chose me to help it along its journey.' Was it a coincidence that he had this necklace? But it couldn't be just mere coincidence that it had the 'Fanal' family crest on it and that she was the one who found it. There was just no way.

'It could be a gift or a curse.'

His words struck her to the very core, as if he plucked a string cord in her soul warning her. He knew something she didn't and it scared her but gave her hope at the same time. Would these occurrences mean that she may indeed go back to Gaea?

In the beginning of the end, when she first came back, she realized no time had passed. It made her feel like she was hallucinating and that she may have dreamt it all up. But she couldn't just categorize it all as just a dream. She wasn't imaginative enough to make all 'that' up. Besides, her grandmother experienced the same thing. And there's no way her heart could hurt so much for something that wasn't real… could it? After all this logical thinking, she accepted that it all happened even if no one else believed her. Eventually, though, she got Ukari to believe her, somewhat. But that was better than nothing.

As the years past, however, it dawned on her that she may never get a chance to go back. Yes, it was true that her grandmother went there but she never went back. Would the same fate happen to her? Would she grow old and hear nothing about Gaea until her grandchildren went there? Would she have to wait so long just to hear who everyone she cared about was doing?

With that in mind, it broke her spirit. That even though she believed with all her heart, that it wasn't enough. She didn't have the pendant that would help her back and Van didn't know how to use it so she couldn't count on him bringing her back. This is what hurt her the most. Like there 'was' no way back.

But, now, because of the appearance of Jikan, it seemed that she had a chance. No matter how slim it was still there. That the cogs of fate were beginning to churn once more. If not, at least she could keep a token from Gaea that could help her remember it was true. At least… that's what she told herself. But, in the end, she still wanted to go back with all her heart. Grabbing her necklace she stared towards the sky. Then…

Someone called her name.

Stopping automatically, she turned around to see who was there. But no one was. She thought she heard her name. Maybe she was hearing things but no… She couldn't be hallucinating. Someone called her.

"Hitomi"

Did she just hear what she thought she did? Tears started to swell up blurring her vision but she refused to shed them. Without realizing it, she had walked back to the track field and not the airport. Eyes widening at the fear she might be bearing witness to. All these feelings were driving her crazy. She wanted to go back… she needed to go back. Finding her voice she spoke in a shaking voice towards what she feared.

"…Van?"

She started to walk toward the track field. It was like some force was pulling her. To hear that voice again. But the feeling of his presence suddenly vanished as if regretting what it did. Hitomi started to fell desperate. Three years of suppressed sorrows and worries started to ache through her entire body. Making her heart heavy and her limbs tremble. Suddenly ragged sobs broke through her entire being.

"Van! Where are you! Don't leave me alone! I don't want to be alone!"

Tears streamed down from pained eyes. Pleading to the sky she gave up all self-control to her emotions. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to see him. She hurt. She suffered. She worried.

And she was breaking.

In a frantic sprint, she ran to the exact spot in which she first left. She could almost hear the song, that lullaby that haunted her dreams. Scared that the sound would go away or that it was just her imagination, she concentrated as hard as she could on the sound. Then, suddenly…

…a light surrounded her…

She still thought she was deluding herself until her feet started to lift off the ground. She was almost there. She was almost able to go back to the world in which she had left her heart.

She was almost there.

To the world that she missed.

The world that had Van.

'…Just a little further…'

(Back at the airport)

Elsewhere, Ukari was fuming in a window passenger seat. That 'Hitomi', who was her supposed 'best friend', hand't come to see her off and she was just a 'little' peeved to say the least. She wanted one last chance to see her to make sure she was going to be okay. Her journey was going take a long time and, now, it seemed that she was going to worry the whole way. Staring outside the plane as it took off from the black pavement; Ukari could see the entire city beneath here. Leaning her head on the window, she started to feel guilty about Hitomi. Then, all of a sudden, she thought she was seeing things. A blue pillar of light had ascended near the school. The track field to be exact.

'What in the world?' She thought to herself, '…I… recognize that light… And… if it is… what I think it is… then…'

Ukari then smiled.

'Well… look who else is going on a trip. Have fun Hitomi!'

Arthur's note:

No I am not done with this fic. I'm actually working on the story line. I have a general idea of what I want in it but if you have any suggestions on what should happen I'm open to ideas. Sorry to have taken so long to update. I promise to update a lot sooner okay. Well here you go. TO BE CONTINUED