Disclaimer: This is truly the last time I must say that I do not own Beauty and the Beast nor the idea and I don't own any characters taken from Escaflowne.

The wind pushed against his wings sending ripples down each of his gray feathers. Hitomi's hair flew in every direction with the air flying around their forms and both their laughter rang throughout the sky. For these two people, this moment was good, and it didn't matter what was going on. All the two passengers of the unknown armor knew was that anything else going on didn't involve them and that this time was theirs. What Hitomi would never realize though is that in these moments, she had caused Van to be happy for the first time...

Chapter 6: Ever After

The night was dark as Escaflowne swooped down low near the castle grounds. With not so much as a shift of the breeze and a rustle of leaves, the giant machine landed upon the grass. Hitomi, a little tired from the flight, stood up and with the help of Van was gently lowered to the ground. Stepping back like she did when she first came to witness the giant mecha, Hitomi watched as Van transformed the dragon back into the standing warrior. Soon enough it was walking step by step back to the building where it sat in waiting. A few moments after it disappeared through the doors, Van appeared from the inside and pushed the heavy wood closed. Once he found Hitomi in the dark, he walked towards her, holding out his arm for her to hook onto. Together they strolled back to the castle.

With the late moon high in the sky, two sets of feet gently padded through the corridors of the castle. No whispers followed the echoing of the walking, but once the clicking of shoes stopped, a door broke the silence and soon after, the low hum of voices.

"This night was amazing," Hitomi told Van in a dreamy state. "Thank you for showing me something so wondrous... it's certainly something I'll never forget."

Van smiled. "You're welcome." Van thought for a second. "Will you need any help getting ready to sleep? I can send one of the maids down to assist you if..."

But Hitomi cut him off, "No. I'll be fine. Thank you again... and goodnight... Van..."

The door shut with a soft click and Hitomi's serene face was cut off from view. Van on the other hand looked shocked with mouth partly open.

'Did she just call me by my name?' he thought to himself. 'Van... she didn't even say Lord Van. How different it all sounds... especially when fallen from her lips.' Van stared at her door for a second longer until he finally shook his head clear and walked away to his own quarters.

For the next few days, Hitomi showed Van everything there was to know about her motorcycle while she repaired it. With the help of the liquid metal used in the guymelefs, all repairs were made with ease and the bike was working just as it was before.

On both Hitomi's and Van's part, they spent much time together. Van agreed to show Hitomi around the castle a bit more as long as she agreed to never enter the West Wing, especially now since she knew exactly where it was. What bothered Hitomi the most was Van's refusal to tell her what the pendant within the forbidden room was and why he was overly protective of it. Just the mention of it turned his mood around to one of frustration and hate. There was one instance during their dinner when Hitomi wouldn't drop the subject and drove Van to nearly drive Hitomi off once again...

"The sun is setting more later in the day than usual," Van commented as he gazed out the giant window sitting parallel to the long dinning table.

"Yes..." Hitomi commented, "...but the colors the sky turn as it sets are so beautifully blended. Everyday is so different looking. Today the sky is so pink it looks unnatural. It looks like the same color as that stone in the pendant you keep locked up in..."

"Do not bring this up once again," Van warned her.

"And why not? Aren't we supposed to not keep any secrets? Why is it a big secret anyways? Everyone seems to know what it is except me."

"You wouldn't understand," Van started. "It was here long before you ever came to life."

"So it's an heirloom of some sort then?" Hitomi suggested more to herself.

"No... that pendant isn't something from my ancestors."

"Then why is so precious?"

"Why do you ask so many questions? I've told you before when you bring the same subject up every time that I cannot tell you the truth about that necklace!" Van's temper was falling short but Hitomi didn't seem to care.

"What is it? Is it that if you tell me the big secret, then everything will disappear like a dream or you will die a most miserable death? Will I be cursed for the rest of my life or be sinned to burn in hell?!"

This broke Van's strength to hold back his anger. He stood up from his chair so quickly the chair flew back and tipped, landing upon the floor with a loud clunk. His arm which was clenching the table cloth swung slightly to the side and came back viciously, pushing all the dishes and food in front of him straight off the table. His eyes shot up and burned through her frightened face, glowing so dangerously that Hitomi couldn't even find herself to move. Van's low voice then broke the silence that came after the crashing of the dishes, "Leave me alone..."

Hitomi, with mouth slightly agape in shock, stood slowly. She didn't move and seemed to be contemplating whether she should say something or just leave, but when Van saw her hesitation, the lower voice he spoke in just a moment ago shot up in volume drastically, "GO!"

With the order given, Hitomi ran from the room, never once looking back. Once she was gone Van breathed in the surrounding air with deliberate slowness and released it heavily. His feet took him from the table to stand next to the window, making him look at the sky Hitomi had mentioned. Van wished he could tell her everything but knew it was impossible. His thoughts journeyed back to the words she shot at him just before his anger exploded.

"Will I be cursed for the rest of my life or be sinned to burn in hell?!"

'I will be the one to be cursed forever... to stay the way I am and live for eternity. Once that damn stone stops swinging, nothing will ever break the curse put on me over 200 years ago. If I tell her the truth now, she will only think she is here to break a spell... but if she knows that to break the spell, she must hold love for me in her heart then she will never come to love me. It would only seem forced and would never be true. I mustn't tell her anything or else everything I've ever longed for will be gone in a single moment. My time is running short... too short. She is our last hope to breaking this retched curse. If I loose control of my emotions once again and chase her off... I will have failed not only everyone dwelling within my castle, but I will have failed myself. It would prove that I do not have the ability to love another and earn their love in return. I've had so many years to try and break this curse but nothing had ever happened. But why now has someone come to possibly break the spell when time has almost run out? What can I possibly do?'

His forehead came to lean upon the glass and his arms pushed some of the weight off his neck as they moved to lie against the glass above his head. With fists clenched and eyes shut, all his aggravation formed a solitary tear which seeped from closed eyelids and flowed down a curved cheek where it fell unnoticed to the polished floor.

Hitomi in the mean time was running from the dinning room. The change in Van was so sudden and she was in such a state of shock that she didn't quite know how to react to it all. She didn't wish to run out like she did the first time... she had to give him a chance. For now his temper could be cooled with time. Eventually her pace slowed and she soon found herself standing in the library. The bookshelves here reached bounding heights and never ceased to amaze her.

Suddenly her thoughts were not on that of the library but on what she had just run from. 'It's my fault he got so angry. I kept pushing him for information.'

Shaking her head slowing from side to side, she tried to think of every possible reason as to why his secret could not be told at all. The only ideas that came to her were those that she had yelled from her confrontation with the demon lord. 'Maybe I should just give it a rest. Who knows... the truth might just come out without me even having to ask.'

Seeing him again had its one hundred percent chance which brought up Hitomi's next problem. What would she say to him? Could she say nothing at all and try to avoid him? Or could she act as if nothing had happened? No... none of that would work. The only option left in her mind was that of an apology. She would just have to find the right words and time to talk to him. Now was not a good time for either of them. Van still had to cool his head while Hitomi had to calm her nerves.

Not wanting to leave the room in case she were to bump into Van, she walked to the nearest shelf of books to start her search for a book to occupy some time. Every page of every book seemed yellowed and ready to turn into dust in the hands of the holder. The leather bindings were dust sprinkled but seemingly in beautiful condition as if they were only there for show and the words within the pages were never read.

Hitomi, after scanning over a few shelves of books came across one that sounded interesting. She gently pulled the book from its spot in-between the other books and carried it to one of the big armchairs placed at the center of the room. Once comfortable, the book was opened and soon Hitomi was immersed in the story.

As she read, a few hours passed by and the sun swung its way around the horizon to send its rays through the glass. A ray of light hit a page in the book just as Hitomi's eyes shifted, bringing more attention to the words written.

"Maybe we're the fools, for thinking we know things. Maybe humans are the only ones who can deal with the fact that nothing can ever be known at all." (1)

Though the person talking wasn't human in the story, the quote struck Hitomi. In reality people think they know things. Ideas and ways of understanding the world pop up everywhere. We accept those as the truth. Sometimes those concepts are challenged and proved wrong but who says that the new ideas that proved the last one wrong isn't wrong itself? Like all grains of sand in the world. We may think we have an accurate number as to how many tiny specks of broken rock, shell, and salt there is, but every second new sand is being made by the crushing waves, the tools of mankind which dig, drive, and crush rock and soil, and even the humans put upon this earth crush the very knowledge beneath their feet. Smaller and smaller the specks get until realization dawns. Though we may think we have all the answers, we really don't.

"No matter how hard I try and think of reasons why Van won't tell me what the pendant is for, I will truly never know the answer."

With the book seemingly giving her a message, she closed it and set it back on the shelf. Upon arriving at the door, she turned and glanced at all the books, smiling to herself as she did so. Maybe in the future she would have to return here and find answers once again.

The door opened and closed softly, leaving the books alone and in their solitude. Setting off on a search around the castle, Hitomi didn't ask anyone where their lord was. If she knew where she was headed, she might have a second thought about confronting him. If she bumped into him on accident, she would feel more confident. She knew what she had to do... the only thing left was to accomplish it.

After seemingly searching the entire castle, Hitomi nearly gave up. She dared not go into the West Wing again, but every other room was either empty or Van wasn't there. Wanting to give up, she retired to her own room. She immediately went to her balcony and leaned against the rail, sighing to herself. A light breeze tousled her hair, making her relax, but as soon as she did, something brushed against her ear, making her jump and whip around. Nothing was behind her but a lonely gray feather. Swaying back and forth in the air, Hitomi's gaze shifted from that of the feather to the roof. There gazing at the clouds was the person she had been looking for. He seemed as if in a daze and didn't even feel her gaze. After looking around, she saw that getting up to where he was would be relatively easy. Though he probably flew up to where he sat on the slate roof, Hitomi climbed upon the statues and crevices in the stone eventually setting foot upon the slant of the roof. Her motion of lifting herself completely to her feet offset some rocks that lay under her feet, making them break and slide down the slant. Van heard the slight commotion, making his red eyes shift from the sky to her. Hitomi carefully made her way over to where the lord of the castle sat, now giving her a look of utter disbelief.

"You're still here?" he asked her in a low whisper.

"Yes..." she replied, "I didn't run off like last time."

"But why?"

"I guess I learned my lesson the first time and..."

Van waited but she didn't finish. He started for her, "And..."

"And I believe you deserved another chance."

"A second chance? I thought that was it... and I did the same thing. I lost my temper and I made you run."

"You told me to run," she corrected him.

His voice rose a bit, "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter!"

At her outburst, Van's gaze shot to Hitomi's.

Hitomi continued after seeing she had his attention. "I'm giving you a third chance... don't you see? I'll give you however many chances you need until it doesn't happen anymore! Listen..." Her voice took a calming tone, "I don't know what happened in the past nor am I responsible for it. You have a split personality it seems. One minute you're sweet and funny, showing me such wondrous things and the next minute, a question makes you loose control of yourself. I realized that no matter how much I try to push for answers or guess at them myself, I will never know. I respect what you're hiding and I promise not to ask anymore. As much as I would love to know your past and the truth about what happened, I understand that even you yourself may not know the answers. You may not even be ready to trust in someone other than yourself..."

Van's eyes turned soft and a smile lightly curved his lips.

"I came up here to think... and I can tell you that you're not completely right. You're not wrong either. If I did tell you why you mustn't touch the pendant or why I can't tell you my past, something that I've waited for an unbelievable amount of time will slip through my fingers and everything I have ever hoped for will have been in vain. You must understand..."

"I do..." she cut him off. "I understand completely. Don't say anymore. When I ran off, I did some reading. The book I picked up somehow gave me a message. It sounds crazy, but I understand... I didn't come up here just to tell you that... but I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have pried. I was the one that kept pushing your limit to holding back your anger. I'm sorry Van..."

There was silence between the two as Hitomi smiled and lowered her eyes. "Well... now that's off my chest, I'll leave you alone."

But as she shifted her body to make her way back to where she climbed up from, she lost her footing on the slippery slate rock and tumbled right off the roof.

"Hitomi!"

Van leapt up and ran for her but couldn't grab her as she fell from sight. Running to the ledge, he took no second thought at jumping straight off. Luckily Hitomi had fallen away from the balcony and nothing else was in the way. Van pushed at the air with his wings making him fall faster and gain more distance on Hitomi. Mere seconds passed as Van wrapped his arms around Hitomi and stopped their descent to the ground. With Hitomi gripping Van's neck tightly, Van swooped away from the ground, nearly loosing control of his wings from the sharp degree at which he had to change his flight. He released the breath he was holding and flew up gently to Hitomi's balcony. Her face was buried in his neck and her breath came in short gasps as her heart pounded in her chest. He gently placed Hitomi's feet on the stone of the balcony, feeling her relax as he did so. As she let go of him, Van noticed her blush and hide her face by looking at the ground. Van smiled slightly and cupped her cheek with his clawed hand, making sure he didn't scratch her in the process. Hitomi felt his gentle touch and didn't resist as he raised her face so he could look at her.

"I accept your apology and thank you... for giving me another chance even though I don't deserve one."

Hitomi smiled back at him in relief.

"Hitomi?"

"Yes?"

"Will you dance with me tonight?"

Hitomi, completely forgetting her near death fall, giggled at how princely he said it but replied quickly in a rich voice, "Of course my lord."

Van took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.

"Until tonight then... my lady."

He gently let go of her hand and walked to the railing of the balcony, jumping on top of it. With a swift push of his wings, he rose up a little and let his feet hover over nothing but air, and in a moment he was gone, floating down to the ground to get ready himself. Hitomi made her way into her room, ready for another night of wonder and magic. Upon entering her room and after quite a bit of pacing because of nervousness, the main hall door opened. Little women that she had never seen before entered. Each carried their own items that would seemingly be used on Hitomi to get her ready for the night. The last two women that made their way in carried an amazingly poofy but gorgeous ivory dress. Hitomi was so busy marveling at the gown she didn't notice when some of the ladies went behind her and started to push on her legs, making her stumble towards her bed. She sat on the mattress and watched with mild amusement as each small woman climbed up and once up started to grab items the others were holding. The bed was soon bustling with activity as each woman started fussing over Hitomi. Makeup was lightly applied as her short hair was brushed out, a few small jewels added here and there for simple decoration. A crown of ivory colored seed beads with hanging teardrop shaped pearls was placed at her brow while a simple string of pearls was clasped around her neck. Just as soon as it had started, the fidgeting stopped.

One small maid spoke from next to her, "Lady Hitomi, we will leave if you wish to dress in private. Just give us the word and we shall obey."

Hitomi thought about this for a second and nodded her head. "If a few of you could stay to assist me, I would be grateful."

With a few words to each other, hand waves, and a gathering of materials, all but two women left. Hitomi undressed herself and pulled the dress on. It took a little time because the ruffles and layers in the dress kept getting caught on something. If that didn't happen, she was stepping on the length of the dress, making her fear the chance of ripping or tearing it apart. With much fussing about from underneath the dress, the ladies arranged it and were able to get Hitomi into it without any damage being done. Once zipped up and settled, Hitomi walked to the floor mirror, twisting and smiling at her reflection. Never before in her life had she felt so princess like and womanly.

Shear lengths of material were connected at the back and the opposite ends were hooked onto silver bracelets around her wrists. The effect was like butterfly wings. Spaghetti straps held the dress on her shoulders and more sheer material went from under the bust line to the floor, splitting like an upside-down 'V' in the front. Ivory high heeled shoes were placed at her feet which she slipped on. The low heel gave just enough rise so the dress didn't drag but not too high to maker her fall. Everything was done and each person gazed at Hitomi's reflection taking a few steps back to admire the beauty in their presence.

Van, whom was also getting prepped for the night, was in his chambers, not only getting physically prepared but mentally as well.

"Tonight is the night... it is the night you confess your love for the girl and poof! The spell will be broken," Dilandau told him simply.

"Yes. I confess my..." Van gave a look of nervous apprehension to Dilandau. "I can't do this. What if she doesn't feel the same?"

"I'm sure she will... especially after tonight. You must sweep her off her feet!"

"I've done that... a couple of times," Van replied.

"No! Not literally! You must show her how kind you can be and how much of a gentleman you are. Be courteous and show her who you really are. There is barely and time left my lord!" Dilandau said with urgency. "I don't want to be stuck a girl forever!"

"You think I don't know that?! I'm trying... I really am. Every time I try... I seem to fail. I don't want to mess up again. I will go through with this. Trust me."

After getting new looking black pants, black loafers, and a white button down shirt and jacket made especially to fit his wings (otherwise known as... holes in the back), he went to his door, arriving at it once a knock sounded upon it. Opening it, Van found Chesta smiling brightly at him.

"The lady awaits you sir," Chesta said while bowing.

With a brisk nod, Van walked out of the room and toward the ballroom. Magnificently carved doors opened to a shinning, golden room of enormous sizes. Windows along the top of the walls let star light glimmer while candles upon the chandeliers and walls lit up the room with a brilliant warm glow. Floors of polished wood stretched across the room and a long blood red rug zigzagged its way down the stairs like a river of blood flowing down a mountain. At the top, two entrances, one to the left one to the right, forced the staircase to split in either direction. Van walked to the center of the ballroom waiting in anticipation for Hitomi to appear.

While Van had made his way over to the ballroom, Hitomi was directed to the room that led to the top of the ballroom's stairs. The door was opened for her and Hitomi walked out onto the rugged floor. She looked down from where she stood so high on the balcony and saw Van, his hair still tousled and rugged with spikes, but well dressed and standing there looking just like the prince he was.

As Hitomi lowered her feet onto each stair, Van stepped leisurely toward the last stair of the staircase. Without breaking eye contact, both ended up meeting each other, Hitomi a few stairs up and Van right below her. Van extended his hand to Hitomi which she graciously took in her own bare hand. Leading her down the rest of the way, Van took Hitomi out onto the dance floor, spinning her into his arms just as the music started up.

Though Hitomi had little experience in dancing, Van led her and learning was easy. Hitomi's laughter flowed and mingled with the notes of music the Dragonslayers were playing, putting smiles on everyone present. It had been a long time since everyone was in a joyous mood.

Since everyone's moods were high, the beat to the music picked up and a livelier tune broke out. Hitomi twirled and ran around the room, Van mirroring the best he could. More laughter flowed into the surrounding air, and to Hitomi's surprise, the laughter of Van's own voice joined in with the rest. Before either knew it, Hitomi started to dance with a little salsa, lifting her skirt slightly, swishing it back and forth with her hands. Clapping sounded in with the music as it sped up even more than when it started. When Hitomi started to breathe a little heavier and with the music coming close to the end, Van took Hitomi's hand and pulled her towards him. He quickly wrapped his arm around her petite waist and dipped her low to the ground just as the music hit its last note.

Applause resounded throughout the ballroom as both dancers held the pose they ended on. As another song was strung up, Van brought Hitomi up to stand normally. The slow hum of the melody brought Van to keep the arm wrapped around Hitomi there. Hitomi brought her own hand up to his shoulder and rested the other in his free hand. Unhurried movements led the dance as no thought was needed to keep from falling. Contentment filled Van as he held Hitomi close and felt her comfort because of her relaxed muscles beneath his hands. Things couldn't be more perfect.

There was just one thing that was nagging at the back of his mind... one thing he had to do that night before it was too late. "Hitomi, would you like to get some air?"

She looked up at him with eyes glinting and a smile spread across her shinning lips, "Yes. I'm getting awfully warm. I wouldn't mind a break."

With her approval, Van stopped their dance and led her to where the glass doors of the balcony stood open to the night's breeze. Sitting down upon a stone bench, Van took a seat next to her and stared at the ground.

"Hitomi... do you like it here?" he asked meekly.

She giggled slightly. "At first I wanted nothing more than to leave. But now... I wouldn't mind staying. It's just..."

"What is it? You can tell me anything."

She sighed, "I miss my father. He's the only one I've ever had since my mother passed away and I'm worried about him. I miss him so much."

Seeing the face once full of joy turn to sorrow, Van contemplated in his mind an action he should take to make her happy once more. "Do you really wish to see him?"

"Yes... of course I do... but..."

"Follow me," Van said as he got up off the bench.

Hitomi was hesitant but stood and followed after Van. After walking through the castle for a little, Hitomi found they were heading towards the West Wing.

"Are you sure you want me to come here?" she asked him.

"Yes. It's fine," and with that he continued on his way.

Upon entering the room Hitomi had been chased out of before, Van led her to the open balcony where the pendant still swung back and forth on its hook. Quite curious as it was though, Hitomi thought she noticed the swing was of less distance than when she had first witnessed it and the brilliant pink glow was fading. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted when Van spoke.

"This mirror will show you anything you want. Go ahead... use it."

Hitomi took the mirror from Van's giving hands and looked into the glass, seeing her own reflection. "I'd like to see my father... please..." and without another word, the mirror lit up intensely, making Hitomi look away. Once the bright light died down, Hitomi returned her gaze to that of the mirror which revealed a sight she did not wish to see.

Her father stood leaned against a tree, breathing heavily and looking unbelievably pale. Dried blood stood out on his pants and his clothing was torn. As he tried to walk, he limped and had to grab the trunks of each tree he came close to. Though there was determination set in his face as he pushed on through the woods towards the castle.

"He's hurt... and he's sick. He might die!" she said despairingly.

"Then go to him," Van said without hesitation.

"What?"

"I am freeing you. You are no longer my prisoner. Go to him."

Hitomi couldn't believe she was hearing him right. Her jaw dropped a little but she closed it and threw a smile on her face. "Thank you."

"Please... keep this," he pushed the mirror back into her arms. "That way, you will always have some way of looking back."

Without another word, Hitomi nodded and ran from the room just as Van started to reach out his hand as if to stop her. She changed into her normal clothing and ran to where her bike sat parked with the guymelefs. Grabbing her helmet that sat near it, she threw it on and started the engine. Even after the accident, Hitomi did not fear to jump back on, especially when her father needed help. Everything was in working order and without any second thoughts, Hitomi sped out of the building and onto the path that led to the entrance gates. Finding them already open, she gave the bike more gas, sending her faster down the road. All the while, the engine noise and helmet blocked out Van's cry that sounded into the night's air, a cry of great loss and anguish.

Hitomi drove at a speed for which she could look around for any sign of her father while still watching the road without hurting herself. Upon driving for more than 10 minutes, she turned a corner only to be greeted by the sight of her father's body, lying face down in the dirt. The bike came to a screeching halt as Hitomi rushed towards her unmoving father. She turned him over carefully only to see how pale his face was and after examining him closely, saw his breathing was slow but there.

"Dad?" she called to him gently. "Can you hear me?"

His eyebrows twitched slightly and his eyes opened with an unbelievable slowness. Blinking a few times cleared his vision and his voice came out weakly. "Hitomi? Is that you?"

"Yes... it's me dad. I need your help. Try and stand... I'm going to take you home but you have to get on my bike first."

"But how did you escape?" he asked while trying to lift himself off the ground.

"I'll tell you about it when we get home. Save your energy and please try to stand," Hitomi told him desperately.

Mr. Kanzaki nodded his head and stood up with Hitomi's help. With much difficulty from his injury in his leg, he sat upon the back seat of the motorcycle and waited as Hitomi got on in front of him. Being as exhausted as he was and deathly sick, he held onto Hitomi but dozed off once they started their drive home, leaning comfortably against Hitomi's back.

It felt like hours until finally the town came into sight and Hitomi pulled into the driveway of their house. Waking up from the stopping motion, Mr. Kanzaki got off the bike the best he could as Hitomi put it into neutral and shut off the power. After kicking down the kickstand, she got off the bike herself and ran to help her father who was attempting to walk towards the house.

What Hitomi didn't notice though was that right outside the house, parked on the street, was Gaddes talking on his cell phone to none other than Allen.

Gaddes hadn't been paying attention and couldn't hide that a motorcycle had indeed drove by him. That's when Allen started to get suspicious. "Did Hitomi get home or what? You can't hide it. I heard a motorcycle go by and I heard the engine get shut off."

"Yeah..." Gaddes breathed heavily. "They just pulled in... Hitomi and her dad."

"Good. I'll be right there."

Without any protest or word from Gaddes, Allen hung up leaving only a dial-tone blearing in Gaddes' ear. The whole time he stood watch at the Kanzaki house, he prayed neither one of them would return in hope that Allen would just give up, but it hadn't worked the way he would have liked. The worst of it was that Allen had to be on the phone when they came home, seemingly telling him themselves they had arrived. But no matter how much Gaddes would have liked to lie to Allen, he couldn't. It's hard to say exactly why he couldn't betray his friend. Maybe there was a debt to be paid, or true friendship existed there. It was impossible to tell exactly.

Back inside the house, Hitomi had laid her father on the couch so he could rest. Turning on a few lights, Hitomi started to examine her father for any major injuries. With minor cuts and bruises she found nothing major until she encountered his leg. A bandage was wrapped around his leg but looked worn and as if it had been on for days. Blood had seeped through the cotton but dried. What worried Hitomi the most was the size of the bandage and how much blood it had actually soaked up.

Just as she was about to fetch the phone to call a doctor, there was a knock at the door. She walked over to it, wondering who would be at their house at such a late time in the night, and opened it a crack. There stood an old man with a balding head and aging features, shadows cast everywhere about his face from the porch light.

"Can I help you?" Hitomi asked him suspiciously.

"Please don't be alarmed Miss Kanzaki. We are just here to arrest your father," the man stated simply.

"What? What do you mean arrest him?"

"We found some evidence that could possibly connect your father to the attempted murder of several young bikers. We found his car in the forest not to long ago after some young bikers came back to town badly beaten."

Hitomi was speechless. What was this man talking about?

"How could my father have hurt those men? How many exactly were there? Don't you know he is injured?!"

"He was injured while fighting those young men. Now please step aside and let us take him in for questioning," the old man said a little more forcefully.

"I won't let you take my father! He is innocent!" she shouted at him.

"You don't have proof."

Hitomi thought for a moment and when an image of bikers appeared in her mind, she saw Van. It was Van who injured the biker gang. It was Van who had saved her. It was Van who she had left. She knew one thing; she couldn't loose her father especially after she had just gotten him back.

"He's not the one that did it. A demon did it," she stated before him.

It was then that Hitomi noticed the crowd of people in her lawn. Among them were Allen's friends and a few people from around town. Her statement towards the man at her door not only went to him but to everyone witnessing the scene before them.

"Don't tell me you're going insane like your father is Hitomi," Allen came from around the corner to look at Hitomi. "You know he came bursting into the bar raving about a demon and how he took you away. But how is it that you are with us now? He must be crazy and that's exactly why he tried to murder those young men. He isn't all together in the head Hitomi. It isn't safe for you to be around him. Please let us take him and I'll make sure he doesn't harm you in the process."

"Never... I'll never let you take him. My father isn't crazy! There is a demon and I can prove it!"

Shoving past some people, she made her way over to her motorcycle and started to undo one of the buckles on the one saddle bag. Once it was opened, she pulled out the mirror that Van had given her. Everyone was looking her way in amusement as they looked at the mirror, really wondering if that was her evidence.

"Show me Van," she said to the mirror.

The burst of light came forth and Hitomi flipped the mirror from her vision to that of everyone else's. The silence was deafening as each person looked on in wonder and in fright. Allen stood, seeing exactly as Masato had described, too shocked to say anything. Whispers came from every direction "It's a demon." "It's a monster." Then someone in the crowd spoke up, "Is he dangerous?"

Hitomi looked around at all the people's faces and shook her head, trying to toss away their fears. "No, he's really kind and gentle. He's just like any other human being." Her eyes softened as she looked at the melancholy image of Van.

When Allen saw her expression towards 'the demon' jealously snapped him out of his daze. Striding up to Hitomi, he ripped the mirror out of her hands, making her gasp in surprise.

"If I didn't know any better, your goo-goo eyes just then tell me that you have feelings for this son of the devil. What did he do to you Hitomi? Did he beat you into submission or did you just sleep with him every night willingly?" he spit out, the venom dripping from each word.

Hitomi couldn't hold it back any longer and with a swift movement, her hand connected with his cheek. The force sent Hitomi's hand tingling and Allen's face flying to one side. With Hitomi's anger still fueled, she yelled at him, "How dare you even think something like that! He's a gentleman and the complete opposite of you, you son of a bitch!"

Complete silence plagued the mouths of the people all until an ambulance came tearing down the street. The policeman that had been there to take her father to the station had gone inside only to find him in a very bad condition. An ambulance was called to take him to the hospital. As it came into the driveway, the crowd moved so as not to be in the way of the paramedics. They left with a stretcher and exited after a few minutes with Mr. Kanzaki lying upon it. Hitomi started to rush towards the stretcher so she could join her father in the ambulance until a hand grabbed her arm and held on a little too tightly. Whipping around, she found it to be none other than Allen. His look was dangerous and before Hitomi got a chance to even shake off his grip, he pulled her towards the house's front door and threw her inside.

"Allen, what are you doing?" Hitomi demanded of him.

"I'm going to stop this little fantasy of yours once and for all. You are mine Hitomi... mine and mine alone. I will go and kill that demon, and you are not going to stop me or warn him in any way," he said to her coolly.

"How do you plan on stopping me Allen?" but as soon as she had asked that, she knew it had been a bad idea.

Allen reached behind his back and pulled something from his pants which had been covered by his leather jacket. Cold steel caught Hitomi's vision as she followed the movement of the object. Before she could comprehend what was happening, the barrel of a gun was pointed straight at her head. Fear struck her first, but the more she thought on it, the more she came to realize how little power Allen actually had.

"You won't shoot me. What would be the point? You don't have the guts Allen," she threatened him.

"No... I won't kill you. But if you try to stop me, I won't hesitate in shooting one of your legs. It would be just enough to stop you but keep you alive all the same."

Hitomi glared at him, but Allen ignored her look. He clearly had the intention of impeding her if need be for it could be seen written all over his face.

"Do you have a bathroom with no windows?" he asked.

"Yes..." Hitomi said hesitatingly, "upstairs."

"Walk to it," he said as he flicked his gun to signal her to move.

Hitomi walked over to the staircase and traveled up it with Allen in tow. Once at the bathroom door, Allen roughly shoved Hitomi within its confines and stood in the doorway, taunting her, "You know Hitomi... you could have made it so much easier on yourself. So be a good girl and stay here for me. I'll be back to get you later."

Hitomi rushed at the door as he slammed it shut and pounded upon its wood body. "Allen you bastard! Let me out of here!"

The only sound from the opposite side was that of a desk chair being shoved up underneath the knob. No matter how much Hitomi tried to force her way out, it was impossible and soon Allen's footsteps died away along with the engines from many other motorcycles. It was then Hitomi realized she was completely alone.

Pounding her fists against the door, Hitomi screamed for help though in her mind she knew it would be useless. Her pounding lightened and soon enough, her arms and head sat leaned against the object blocking her way out. Frustration and anger took over her emotions as she sank to the floor, steady tears leaking from her eyes.

"Van..."

"Damnit! We were so close but he has to go and ruin it all just when we are nearly out of time," Dilandau sat in her guymelef mumbling to herself. "I don't want to be stuck a girl forever! Hitomi! You're coming back whether you like it or not!"

With that final note, Dilandau put the guymelef into flight mode and wasted no time in flying straight towards Hitomi's town. At the speed the guymelef flew at, it was no wonder Dilandau arrived at the quiet town with the few glowing lights that lit the ground ever so slightly just within a few minutes. Not really knowing what to look for, her eyes searched the ground for something that would give up her location. After buzzing around in the air for a while, trying to stay hidden from any spying eyes, Dilandau suddenly spotted something that was exactly what she was looking for.

"Motorcycle!" It was as simple as that and Dilandau darted to the ground. No question about it... the scratches along its chrome body screamed that it was Hitomi's bike. Since parking the guymelef out in the driveway was out of the question and since it needed to have someone in it to have the cloaking device active, Dilandau decided to take her guymelef into the house to hunt down Hitomi. It would also be easier on Dilandau's part to just grab Hitomi instead of being a munchkin trying to pull at her leg. Yes... this was going to be easy.

Activating the invisibility cloak, Dilandau made her way to the front door, made sure no one was around, carefully opened the door, and went inside. It was relatively easy since the guymelef was just about the same size as a normal human being. Searching the first floor high and low was useless for there was no sign of life. Not until the cloak device was inactivated and Dilandau flew up the staircase did she see why it seemed no one was there. Using the crima-claw, Dilandau grabbed the chair wedged up in the doorknob of a room and pushed it away. The door opened immediately to reveal Hitomi, looking very shocked at what stood before her.

"Dilandau?" she said hesitatingly.

"Yes it's me! You hav..."

"Take me with you back to the castle Dilandau!" Hitomi said hurriedly.

Dilandau sat there shocked. This was easier than she thought. Not dwelling on the thought, Dilandau yelled through the visor, "Right!". An arm was stuck out towards Hitomi and the liquid metal poked out. Hitomi nodded her head and raised her arms a bit. The claw shot out and wrapped around her body. She was then lifted from the ground as the machine lifted from the ground and flew straight out of the house and into the night sky.

"Hey Miguel," Chesta called out to his fellow Dragonslayer. "Do you know where Dilandau is?"

Miguel gave a shrug and walked off, leaving the other to stand, lost in confusion. Ever since Hitomi left, the inhabitants of the castle were all sulking about. He could understand why too. Time was almost up, and Hitomi was probably their last chance to ever change everything back to normal. Now she was gone by Van's own decision. At a time he showed kindness, it had to be at a time to ruin all their hopes. Chesta sighed heavily and decided to keep walking about in search of their commander.

As he wandered about the darkening castle, a faint noise reached his ears. The sound was very familiar but he passed it off as his imagination. To think Hitomi would come back to them now would be getting one's hopes up. He couldn't take anymore disappointment than he already had. But as he walked by a window, the sound of an engine grew louder. Stopping the sound of his feet clicking upon the stone floor, Chesta stood for a moment in the silence that surrounded him only to hear the soft mumbling of a motorcycle. His face lit up and hope escalated his feet to run to the main entrance. As the seconds went on, the sound that reached the Dragonslayers' ears grew louder and instead of sounding like a single engine, it started to sound like more than one.

Suspicion grew in Chesta as his hope slowly faded away. Rushing to a nearby window, he leaped as high as he could to the edge and grabbed onto the window sill. Hoisting himself up with one swift movement, he searched the forest just outside the castle with his eyes. Faint beams of light were visible through the trees' thick canopy and if one were to keep your eyes glued to one spot among the trees, you would see many lights flash by and disappear, one by one. As more sound traveled to his ears, shouts and howling faintly cried out from amid the engine noise.

Not wanting to panic, Chesta kept his post at the window. As he stood watch, the motorcyclists finally emerged from the trees and one by one stopped at the gate. No need to set off an alarm. They were just sitting there... right?

"Kill the demon!"

OK! Time to sound the alert. Jumping from the window, Chesta ran down the hall of where the Dragonslayers stayed shouting at the top of his lungs, "Red alert! Red alert! Everyone to your guymelefs! Prepare for battle! The castle is under attack! I repeat, the castle is under attack!"

Not having had this much excitement in a long time, every little warrior ran from the rooms and sprinted to the docking building. Chesta on the other hand ran to find Van. Room upon room, Chesta entered and yelled his master's name until finally he came across him in the West Wing.

"Lord Van! There is an attack against the castle! What are your orders?" Chesta asked him while breathing hard.

"Let them come."

Chesta's eyes grew large as he looked at Van in disbelief. He shook his head from side to side and stalked off. He wouldn't take that... not when everything was going so well. He would not stand by and watch as the whole castle was overtaken. Chesta didn't care if a punishment was in store for going against orders or not even getting an o.k. on a counterattack. He rushed to the guymelef building where all the Dragonslayers were standing by. All eyes looked upon him as he entered, waiting for the command. With a nod of his blonde head, each of the midget sized soldiers gave a shout of joy and jumped into the cockpits of their machines. Each came to life and moved towards the door that led outside. Some not having flown in a long time took great joy in bursting forth into the night sky.

Once all were flying above the castle, Chesta spotted the biker gang still at the gates. Hooks of some kind had been thrown onto the tops of the gates, chains leading from the hooks to a few bikes. The bikers were turned around and started to rev the engines. A signal was given from their supposed leader and about four of the motorcycles flew forward, yanking the gate while they did so. The rusty hinges soon gave way from the force and a shout of triumph exploded from the group as their vehicles jumped into action, riding over the now fallen gate.

It was all Chesta needed to give the word, "Attack! Defend the castle! Don't let anyone get inside!"

Thus chaos ensued.

Liquid metal shot through the air, some grabbing the men and the rest destroying the bikes which they sat upon. After lessening their numbers, a few soldiers landed on the ground and activated their invisibility cloaks to start toying with the rest of the standing men. One person caught Chesta's attention within seconds though. His long blonde hair flew behind him as his face, alight with murder, stared at the castle doors. Going to stop him, Chesta flew right in front of his path and aimed his crima claw. What he didn't expect was the steel gun the motorcyclist was aiming straight at him. With no second thought, the man shot at the guymelef blocking his way. Chesta went to dodge it, but was seconds too late as it pierced his guymelef's armor and his own skin. The guymelef hit the ground and liquid metal leaked from the hole along with a foreign red substance. A grunt of pain echoed in the cockpit as its pilot struggled to make the contraption stand once again, but as more and more blood seeped from his small body, the harder it became to stay focused.

Chesta took in a sharp breath as he uttered his lord's name before falling into unconsciousness.

Allen on the other hand, after caving in the main doors with his bike, jumped off it to hunt for his prey. He went from room to room, slamming open every door with gun in hand, ready to kill anything in sight. At last he came to a desolate looking area of the castle and opened the door that would lead him to Van. Seeing Van lounging upon a chair, seemingly oblivious to everything going on around him, Allen raised his gun, deciding to give the demon a scare, and fired. Van roared aloud with great intensity and turned his eyes upon the intruder just as he witnessed Allen coming at him in a mad rush. Without even reacting, the broken lord just flinched as Allen's fist came in contact with his cheek. The blow sent Van flying backwards and into the railing of the balcony. Allen didn't stop there though. Van soon felt his body fly over the rail along with the weight of Allen. A short distance soon ended their fall as they impacted with the roof. Rolling down the slant of the roof, the two broke apart and slid to a stop upon reaching one of the ledges.

Van slowly picked himself up uncaring if Allen was rushing upon him. A punch in the gut sent Van staggering a few steps backwards. Putting his hand on one of the statues as he took a few steps backwards, he steadied himself. Allen gave off a stout laugh as he looked upon the demon with malice and triumph.

"What's wrong demon? Too heartbroken to fight back?!" he stated, "Do you really think she could love someone like you? If you did, you are sadly mistaken my friend. No one could ever love a freak like you. Once you are out of the picture, Hitomi is mine."

Van shut his eyes tightly at his words. His hands shook as Hitomi's face flashed through his mind. Allen's gun rose very closely to Van's heart, but as he started to squeeze the trigger, Hitomi's voice rang out from above the commotion below.

"NO!!! Allen, don't kill him! Van! NO!"

Van and Allen's eyes caught sight of a horrified Hitomi there in the battle with Dilandau still holding her up in her guymelef. But when Dilandau caught sight of her fallen Dragonslayer, Hitomi was lowered to the ground as commander sped towards a fellow comrade. Van's spirits, upon seeing Hitomi, returned. With Allen's attention away from him for a split second, Van grabbed Allen's wrist which held the steel handgun, ripping it away from his chest. Allen automatically pulled the trigger in response but was not fast enough, sending the shot into the air. With a twist of his wrist, Allen shouted in pain as he released the gun, sending it clattering to the ground. Resuming their battle once again, now with Van fighting back, Hitomi ran into the castle, hoping to stop the unnecessary war. A punch into Allen's sternum sent him staggering back, coughing and gasping for air.

Van took his chance and grabbed Allen by his collar, within seconds he then took to the skies. Allen squirmed no more as his eyes rolled down to the ground and found his voice after some sputtering, "Please... I beg you! Let me go!"

Van's grip loosened on his shirt and fear struck hard in Allen's eyes. "NO! No don't let me go! I'll do anything! Just don't kill me. Please... I beg of you... "

Hardened red eyes gradually softened as Van stared into the pitiful orbs his enemy showed. Van growled deeply in his throat as he made his descent back to the castle's roof. As Van's feet pressed against the stone, he lowered his arm eventually going so low that Allen was on his knees, Van's claws still holding the fabric of Allen's shirt in his grasp. Scrunching his eyes dangerously, Van brought his face close to Allen's, whispering a simple command, "Get out."

The grip was released and the blonde fell backwards a little onto his butt. He watched in horror as the black winged demon walked away. His ragged breathing was the only noise that could be heard until Hitomi appeared from a balcony above them. Upon spotting them, she smiled and yelled his name.

Van's face softened considerably as he looked up at Hitomi. Lifting himself into the air, he flew up to the person he thought he lost forever. Neither of them wasted any time in wrapping their arms around the other. The happy moment seemed to end the whole ordeal when unexpectedly a boom echoed into the air. Van gasped suddenly, his grip loosening from around Hitomi. Tightening her own grip, she pulled Van over the edge of the balcony then sending them both to the floor. Hitomi removed her hands from his back only to see them covered in blood. Allen, having reclaimed his gun, shot Van in a final attempt to be rid of him, but the kickback sent his unbalanced feet to slip upon loose rock on the roof. With nothing to grab a hold of, his body fell carelessly to the ground. Just as he was about to make contact though, one of the guymelefs flew above him and grabbed him with a liquid claw. Now unconscious, he was laid with the rest of his gang on the ground. Not wanting to kill, the Dragonslayers did not sacrifice one life and planned to bring each of the men to their own residence, hoping they would be dealt with there.

Back atop the balcony, Van lay on the white stone which started to turn red from his blood. Hitomi rested his head in her lap, her tears now spilling into his hair. Van looked at her wearily, still amazed that she was there, "You came back."

"Of course I did. I couldn't just leave you," she replied.

"I'm just glad I got to see you one more time," he managed to sputter.

Hitomi shook her head in disbelief, "No... you can't just leave me. Not like this,"

"Maybe it's better this way..."

By this time, Dilandau helping a bleeding but now conscious Chesta, and a few others had made their way up to where the two were, and they now looked in shock as they watched their lord die before their eyes, the pendant swinging a lesser distance during each passing second.

"Don't talk like that," Hitomi tried to say as her tears came more freely. "We'll be ok. We'll be together. Right?"

"Hitomi... I don't care if you don't feel the same, but I... I need to tell you before I go..." he gave a harsh gasp as his eyes shut tightly.

"Don't talk. Save your strength... please... you'll be fine."

After a few staggered breaths he continued, "I... I love you... Hitomi..."

Red eyes closed off from the world in one final struggle until all muscles in his body relaxed and the slowing heart stopped its life giving beat. Not wanting to believe it, her forehead pressed against his own, her sparkling tears falling like droplets of rain onto his cooling skin. The Dragonslayers looking upon the scene turned their heads away in grief and towards the once glowing pendant. It's swing after so long had finally ceased, and all hope that was once there for hundreds of years vanished within the seconds that the pink jewel stopped its swaying.

Hitomi's sobbing quieted as she whispered, "But I do feel the same. Van... I've come to realize something. I love you."

The smile upon her face pulled down into a frown as she saw it was too late.

As Hitomi sat there, a soft wind blew around her, drawing her attention to Van's wings. All the feathers which had once formed both his angel wings were now all separated and swirling around freely in the breeze. Hitomi became startled as the feathers started circling around Van and lifted him into the air. Hitomi watched in awe as Van transformed right before her eyes. The wound in his back healed up and his hair turned a soft jet black. Deathly white skin became bronzed, muscles became more pronounced, and his clawed hands retracted and smoothed out. Fangs turned into normal teeth and the once blood red eyes swirled with brown, regaining the look they once had. His body lowered to the ground and the gray feathers dispersed into the surrounding air, leaving the lord of the castle to stand on his own. With face towards the sky, Van threw his arms out as gleaming white angel wings burst forth from his bare back. As his gaze lowered, the lids that covered his once fiery red gaze opened to a shocked Hitomi.

Hitomi got up slowly as she looked upon the spectacle before her. She prayed it wasn't a dream in her mind as she rushed towards the man standing before her. Wanting arms threw themselves around the warm skin of her angel and her head laid against his chest as her grip tightened around his waist. Hearing his heart was enough for her to believe that he was real and she fell into the comfort of his hold.

A slight noise near them made them turn to look at Chesta, who was now growing tall and back to his normal size. The wound in his side healed right before his eyes and his wooziness from blood loss went away as quickly as he had been shot. Right next to him, the little girl grew bigger in some places and smaller in others, soon growing to his fellow Dragonslayers' size. Dilandau patted his body to be sure he wasn't dreaming, eventually reaching in-between his legs and finding the all to long gone appendage there once again. A sigh of relief sent everyone around into fits of laughter.

"Is this a dream or are you really an angel?" Hitomi asked the man in her arms.

"I'm not dead, so I'm not an angel... and no this isn't a dream. All I know is that I'm yours."

"As am I."

Van and Hitomi, with their eyes on each other, exchanged an unspoken message. Strong arms lifted Hitomi's legs off the ground as Van held her tight against his chest. With no effort, he leaped upon the balcony's railing, took one look back at all the people within the castle celebrating, and shook his head. Hitomi's hand cupped his cheek, grabbing his attention, and slowly brought her lips to his. They gazed at each other after pulling apart, smiles on both their faces, and with one powerful stroke of Van's majestic wings, the boy who never knew how to love and the girl who thought she would never find adventure flew high into the cloud covered sky. Though many may ask 'Who could ever love a demon?', but this love has proved that a love such as theirs can exist and it can last. It is a love that will live on... forever...

For just as all other stories go... they lived happily ever after.

The End

(1) This is a footnote. If any of you were wondering where I got that quote, it IS actually from a book. The book is Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. It's part of the Ender's Game series... if you've ever read the books, you will know they are very good. To clear up confusion (if there is any), there are two alien species talking about humans... that's why the term 'humans' is used.

I thought I was ruined because we were updating my computer. It ended up that the new motherboard we got was broke... and I had already written the first half of this chapter and saved it onto my hard drive before we updated. We had to wait for a new floppy drive and motherboard to come in through the mail (my dad broke my other floppy when taking it out). Then we had to transfer all my stuff from my other hard drive to my new one. Luckily, when I was on vacation for a few weeks, I took a notebook with me and... dun dun dun... hand wrote the rest of the chapter! It took a few weeks and I used my brother's laptop to type it up. I saved it to a floppy so I could just add it to the section of story I had written. It would have taken much longer to get this chapter posted if I hadn't done that. So I'm happy. I waited until my computer was up and running once again and I was finally able to get this out to you.

I'm glad I got this done but now I have to finish my other fanfictions. Oh boy. So I just have a few last words. Thank you to all who supported me throughout this story. If you have ever reviewed during the duration of this story, your name will be below with a comment next to it. If you reviewed once, chances are you got a thanks and that's it. If you reviewed a little more and went above and beyond, you might have gotten a few sentences. Just please look and read yours since I took the time to write them.

One last thanks to everyone and even if you never reviewed, but read... well please review this chapter at least but thank you anyways for reading. I hope everyone has enjoyed the ending. Thanks again for reading and for those of you who reviewed!

Jossi-31 – You were my first reviewer though I lost you after that. Maybe you were reading and not reviewing, but thanks for being the first to take a chance at reading my fanfiction.

La Femme – You really think going to Disney with your marching band is cool? Well I guess it is. I lost you too after your first review. Hope you finish reading otherwise and thanks for reviewing!

Aranel Lindtaure – I agree with you on your first review. I could have presented it differently but when I first started writing, I was trying to get it as close to the movie as possible. I hope you finish reading and thanks for your support!

Yoshi Kanzaki – Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you like it and I hope you finish reading it!

bookworym – I sure did write loads more and I hope you read the rest of my story when it's finished! Thanks for your review!

DillyChic16 – Thanks for reviewing and I hope you get to read the rest!

Clearsunrise – Have fun with your new computer and I hope you enjoy the rest of the chapters.

Rhiannon – I'm glad you noticed how close but different the dialogue and story is with the movie. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

Tsubasa - Don't you just love when movies just randomly break out into songs? Lol... I sure do. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you get to finish reading!

Anthius – MORE... I must say that is the first time I've gotten that as a review. Thank you for your support... even if it's one worded support.

AnimeFan98 – Thanks for reading and your review! Hope you read the rest and enjoy!

blue ice2 – Thanks for your review! Enjoy the rest!

Bradybunch4529 – My finals went great and I hope you continue to be impressed. Thanks for your review and I hope you like the ending!

Watergoddess – Glad you're enjoying it! I hope you liked the rest and thanks for your review!

SabrinaYutsuki - Hope there were enough twists in the end! Thanks for your review!

f-zelda - Thanks for your review and I hope you enjoyed the rest of the story.

snow blossoms – Thank you for your first long review. I'm glad you like the whole chibi Dragonslayers too. I couldn't stop thinking of how cute they actually were when I was writing it. I just want one or two to cuddle! To bad they were changed back to their normal size in the end. Well I hope you enjoyed the rest of the story! Thanks for reviewing!

NeverEndingQuest – Yes... Dilandau the she... now a guy! Thank god... I could never stand it if he stayed a woman. Thank you for reviewing! Your support is much appreciated. Hope you enjoyed the end!

Anime Monkey – I'm glad you enjoyed what I had written and I hope you liked the ending. Thanks for your support and reviews!

SabineballZ – You reviewed for almost every chapter! Thanks you so much for your support! I always looked forward to reading your reviews! They were always so cute and they always gave me a good laugh or a smile. Thanks for your time!

Princess Neptune – Thanks for your support and reviews. I hope you enjoyed the ending!

Denithya – Thanks for reviewing my story. I hope there was enough romance between Van and Hitomi for you. Thanks again!

vixon I – You reviewed almost every chapter! You get a cookie! Don't worry... the musical went very well and I'm sorry that yours didn't turn out so good. I hope it has gotten better and I'm sorry if I disappointed you by making this the last chapter. Thanks for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoyed it all!

fireangel621 – I'm glad you liked my story and I hope you enjoyed the ending especially since you hate Allen and Gaston. Thanks for your reviews!

Rhapsody's Song – Every review except the last one almost seemed like you were in a song... lol. Thanks for all your support and reviews! It's much appreciated. And by the way, I love your name.

Kya77 – I hope it wasn't too close to the movie yet not to far from it. I'm glad you like my adaptation of it and I hope you enjoyed the ending. Thanks for reviewing and your support!

Inda – Thanks for reviewing and reading! I hope you enjoyed the ending!

Koriina – Your reviews are always fun to read and I love looking forward to getting them. Thanks for your support! I hope you enjoyed the rest!

Saotoshi – You read it all at once and even reviewed every chapter! You get a big cookie! I did see the show at MGM when I went to Florida and I loved it. I've seen it before too so I knew about it before I went last year. I've never been a big Allen fan... I only like him in the movie. And you know what? I never even gave Merle a thought. She's pretty annoying in my eyes and I just couldn't find a main character roll for her. Oh well. Dilandau got it worse because he is higher up in the castle... lower than Van but higher than a servant or Dragonslayer. Don't worry... I'm not obsessed and I didn't have the movie memorized. I frequently turned back to the movie for quotes and sequence of events. Yeah I didn't think of a way to incorporate Escaflowne in until last minute. I'm glad I did though. Having two jobs doesn't leave me with much free time so I apologize if it took a little to get this last chapter out. I loved reading your reviews and I still enjoy reading them again for a good boost to make me want to write. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed the ending! Thank you thank you!

Thanks and don't forget to review one last time!

MysticalDreamer32