A Wish of Snow
Christmas-ish Escaflowne fic
Chapter One: "Cold"
Summary: Sometimes the snow brings bitterness and cold; sometimes it brings love and warmth. For Hitomi, it brings both. Van/Hitomi Romance
Author's Notes: Takes place several years after the series. Hitomi has gone off to college in New York (rural NY folks). I hate to throw her over to America, but it's a necessary evil to get snow in Winter around Christmas time and it goes along with my thought process anyway…so Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne.
Hitomi turned the key and pushed on the aged door. It creaked, then swung open, denting the wall behind it, again. "We've really got to get that door fixed, huh?"
Hitomi turned to the girl in the room. "Yeah." she sighed. She threw her book bag down against her dresser and pushed the door shut. Flopping onto the bed, Hitomi closed her eyes.
"Was that your last one?" asked the girl.
"Yeah."
She could hear Emily, her roommate shuffle around opening and closing drawers. She must have been packing up. "You're going home today right?"
"Hmm?" Emily held up two socks. One was green and the other was black with white stripes. She turned to Hitomi. "Yeah, well, I like to be where it's a bit warmer this time of year." The socks were thrust into the suitcase on her bed. "And my Mom has a fit if I'm not home to help her with the Christmas tree."
"My Mom has never been one to have a tree in the house." Hitomi sat up and shifted her legs over the side of the bed. "Besides, it's expensive to go home."
"Well, when you live on the other side of the world, yeah." Emily giggled.
The other girl abruptly closed her suitcase and grabbed her coat. "I'll be back in a few hours. Gotta catch some lunch and make sure they have my address wrong so that I won't get grades until I'm back here for Spring."
"Emily-" Hitomi began.
"Just kidding! I passed, you know I always get by."
"You always have to be dramatic."
"Well, I am a drama major." Emily smiled. "See you later okay?"
"Yeah, bye."
The door swung shut. Hitomi eyed the empty room. It wasn't very large, but she'd called it home for two years now. The room was filled with furniture and Emily's things. She really should have been a scientist the way she managed to expand so much stuff to take up an exorbitant amount of space. Her clothes dotted the floor over lost term papers and e-mail printouts. Emily had decorated too. Her half of the wall was plastered with musical and theater posters. Little glowing stars littered the ceiling and bits of random cloth scraps were tossed on her bed. Hitomi grinned. Emily had been taking a costumes class this semester.
"Oh well." She huffed, stepping over the mess to get to her own desk. It was that time of year again, Christmas, and she felt she ought to at least write a letter. New York was truly too far from Japan to even think about going home for the holidays. She started to write, "Dear Mom, I'm doing fine." Hitomi held the pen off the page, what else was she even going to say? She continued anyway, rambling, "I think I've done okay this semester, still haven't picked a major, but don't worry, I will- definitely not English." Hitomi grumbled. "Oh! I didn't mean to write that!" Hastily, she balled up the paper and threw it in the trash before starting again.
"Dear Mom, I hope you're doing okay. School's fine. It snows a lot, but people here don't seem to mind much." That sounded alright. "I'm well." This was going to be such an awful letter.
vvvvvvvvvv
An hour later, Hitomi had played six rounds of paper basketball and had one very short, generic and innocuous letter. "I'll just go mail this. It's not like I'm going to come up with anything better." She pulled her coat on and picked up the envelope. The dorm building was almost empty even in the late afternoon. Hitomi left the building and started the long walk to the mailbox.
She slowly became aware of the snow. "Great, just what I need, more snow." There was already three inches on the ground from the night before. Rural New York always had snow from November to March, she'd discovered. You learned to ignore it. Hitomi slipped her letter into the mailbox and frowned. Emily wasn't back yet and she was done with tests, so there really wasn't anything to do. Everyone had someone or some place to go.
"Maybe I'll just take a walk." she stepped off the path and crunched her way towards the woods.
She really didn't have anyone. Her family was around the world, her few friends were all with their families; she didn't even have a boyfriend. The thought made her shiver. "Van." she breathed. A puff of steam floated in front of her face. She hadn't even glimpsed him for over two years. Instinctively, her right hand lifted to her neckline. "That's right." she paused, "I gave the pendant to him." Shaking her head, Hitomi continued walking. Once a year since she'd left Gaea, Van had appeared over the lake, just a glimpse, but he still smiled at her.
A blush crept into her cheeks and she quickened her pace. It had taken her so long to realize that she loved him. Then, she'd had to leave. It just wasn't fair. The trees got thicker and the snow started falling faster, but Hitomi was too deep in her thoughts to care.
Sure, to start, she'd been strong. Her journey to Gaea and Fanellia had taught her that she didn't need tarot cards and that she should believe in a happy future. She finished high school and even decided to travel abroad for college. Now it all seemed worthless. "I don't even know what I want to do with my life." she sighed. No major seemed right. Sure, she passed her classes, but what good was it if she couldn't find something to do with her life?
Guilt and worry bubbled into anger. "Why did I do this to myself?" She stopped walking. "I stopped running track when I got here. I left the only people who cared about me-" Hitomi's hands balled into fists. "And why hasn't he talked to me! I thought-" her eyes watered. She quickly wiped the tears away. They'd freeze if she wasn't careful. The rational thought led the way to awareness.
"Where am I?"
vvvvvvvvvv
"Great." Hitomi looked down at her own footprints in the snow. "I'm lost and it's getting dark. These are the kind of horror stories people tell. A girl, gets lost alone in the snow-" Hitomi's knees shook with cold and a twinge of fear. "Just relax, Hitomi." she told herself. "If you just follow your footprints- oh no."
The snow was falling fast and successfully covering her tracks. "Think." she said quietly. "My cell!" She reached back into her pocket and panicked. "I must have left it." Hitomi shivered. "I'll just have to find my way back. Relax." she chided. "I think I was coming from this direction." With a hesitant step, Hitomi trudged through the snow.
"I didn't think I'd gotten this far from the campus."
The sun finally dipped down below the horizon. Hitomi was quickly losing her battle with fear. She couldn't feel her toes or fingers anymore and the snow was soaking her clothes. "I wish I was home, safe and warm." she whispered. Her mind froze. "Don't wish." In the past, her wishes and desires had always led to bad fates. On Gaea her wishes nearly destroyed the world. Then she frowned. "My wishes don't matter any more anyway."
"It's too dark." she mumbled. The trees blocked out any remaining light. There was no way she could see to get out tonight. "Shelter, shelter, shelter-" she repeated. Even when afraid, the body tends to kick into a natural self-preservation mode. Hitomi's body knew she needed to stop and conserve warmth, even if her mind was in disarray.
A group of pine trees caught her attention and she lumbered over to them. The ground was only dusted with snow and the trees provided a wall between her and the icy wind. Hitomi slowly sat down and hugged her knees. Her teeth chattered; her mind fogged. Sleep threatened to overtake her.
"No more wishes." she repeated, fighting for consciousness. "No more pendant, no more tarot cards, horrible fates, no more- Van-" Her wishes didn't matter anymore, right? "Fine. Then I wish, I was on Gaea. I wish I could see Van again." Her tears froze to her cheeks as she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.
vvvvvvvvvv
Hitomi was running, running from something terrible and unseen. Suddenly, the ground was gone and she felt herself falling into the enveloping darkness.
She recognized this. It had happened before.
Bits of rock fell around her; the only thing between her and the blackness.
She knew this dream. Any moment now, Van would appear and save her from falling. He'd take her hand and with his wings, he'd lift her to safety. But why was she seeing this again? It already happened.
No one appeared.
Just wait, any moment now-
All of the light was sucked away.
Where was he?
Hitomi smashed against something very hard and she heard a sharp crack. Pain raced through every fiber of her body and then the blackness consumed her.
vvvvvvvvvv
"No!" She sat bolt upright and gasped for air. The dream was different, and it felt so real. Shaking, Hitomi looked around. It was just after dawn and she was still sitting in her cluster of pine trees, now coated in a light layer of snow. Tentatively, she stood and dusted herself off. It was still cold, but at least it had stopped snowing.
She pushed the dream from her mind. "I've got to find my way back." Very numbly, Hitomi walked ahead. Somehow, things looked different in the daylight. The trees were much thinner and there didn't seem to be nearly as much snow on the ground as there should have been. Her fuzzy mind pushed these details aside as thoughts of sleep took over. "I was so sure I'd come this way." she turned slightly, "Why haven't I seen any buildings yet? This is so-" Hitomi reached a hand up to her head to stop it from spinning.
"Over there!" a voice rang out.
"Is it her?"
"Hurry up!"
Now she was hearing things too. Her head throbbed along with her frozen feet. "so- weird." Dots appeared in her vision and she collapsed.
In her twilight state of mind, Hitomi was vaguely aware that she was being lifted from the ground and wrapped in something warm. She curled tighter against the warmth and let the last of her consciousness slip away.
Three men stood around a fourth who held the sleeping girl in his arms. They were all wearing long, dark green coats and ragged hats.
"Gregor, is she dead?"
"No, she still breathes." replied Gregor, shifting the girl slightly.
"Lord Thamos will be pleased." said the tallest.
As they started walking, the smallest man with red hair mumbled, "I don't see how she's so powerful."
"Shut up, Rawn. It doesn't matter what she looks like."
"But-" Rawn tried.
"Evard is right. I saw the destruction she brought to Zaibach before. She's got strange powers."
"Did she really destroy the machine, Sil?" asked Rawn cautiously.
"Yes."
"What power." he gasped.
"Hurry up!" Gregor commanded.
"Just think of what we can accomplish if she is on our side?" Evard grinned darkly.
"If you don't shut your mouths and start walking faster, Lord Thamos will get impatient." Gregor stated flatly.
The men went quiet and quickly fell into step behind their commander. No one wanted Lord Thamos to get impatient. And with such an important cargo, there was no doubt that he'd want it sooner than possible.
vvvvvvvvvv
There was a whirling sound by her ear. It was steadily increasing in volume. Hitomi blinked her eyes open. It was blurry at first, but gradually her eyes focused. Bars. Iron bars surrounded her. "Where am I?"
"Oh, she's awake." Rawn said.
"Who are you people? Where am I?" Hitomi demanded.
"Relax girl. You are unharmed." Gregor strolled over to her cage casually. He was a big, broad-shouldered man with a long black beard and weathered face. "Here." Gregor pushed a tray between the bars. There was a bowl of brown liquid and a spoon, along with a glass of water.
"No thanks."
"Eat. You're hungry and you'll need your strength."
Hitomi's stomach gurgled. She hadn't eaten since early yesterday morning. Hunger soon won over her resolve as she picked up the spoon and tested the brown broth. It was different, but not inedible. She cautiously set the spoon back down. There were several men sitting around her cage. They were apparently in some sort of building, because the floors and walls were made of stone and a balcony ringed the room. Hitomi stared. There were others standing on the balcony, watching, shrouded by their cloaks. Next to her was a huge machine that looked like- It couldn't be- What was this place? "Who are you?"
"Ah, forgive me lady Hitomi for not introducing myself properly." thundered a rich, deep voice.
"Lord Thamos!" Chorused the men, bowing as another tall and slender man passed them. It was the owner of the voice.
"Who are you?" Hitomi called, her voice threatening to break.
"I was about to tell you my dear." He stated calmly. "I am Lord Thamos, a sorcerer. And you require no introduction. You are Hitomi, from the Mystic Moon."
"Then," her heart raced; fear suppressed by hope, "I am on Gaea?"
"My, my." Thamos grinned. "Yes, and you have the pleasure of being my guest."
Hitomi met his eyes. They were cold and distant. "What do you want with me?"
"I should think it would be fairly obvious." he raised a long hand and gestured towards the machine next to her.
"But I thought-"
"Oh, it was destroyed. This is my own creation."
Was he psychic? He kept answering her questions before she got to them. "I don't understand." She struggled to her feet.
"And here I thought you were so bright." Thamos approached the machine. "There will be time for explanations my dear. For now, eat and regain your strength."
"I won't do it." Hitomi spat.
"Yes you will!" Evard stood and glared at her.
"Evard." Thamos raised his voice slightly. "Hold your tongue. The young lady will do as she likes."
Why was he being so cooperative? Something about him didn't sit right with Hitomi. "If I can do as I like, then I want to leave! I want to return to Fanelia!" she shouted.
"Why would you return there?" Thamos stroked the machine's framework lovingly.
Her cheeks flushed for a moment. "I have friends there!"
"I should like to be your friend."
"No!"
"What can I do to prove that I mean no harm?" Thamos asked.
"Let me go!"
"Very well." He waved a hand and two guards unlocked her door.
Quietly, Hitomi stepped out and scanned the room. Most of the men were regarding her with interest. Several just stared. Thamos moved to her side.
"Lady Hitomi, there is something you should know." Thamos continued, his voice soft, but deadly stiff. Slowly, he reached into his robe and drew from it something concealed by his hand.
Hitomi stared at his closed fist. Just what was he up to?
"Your hand please."
With trepidation, she held out her right hand. Thamos reached out his hand and placed it over hers. When he opened his fist, something cool and smooth fell onto Hitomi's palm. Thamos moved his hand away.
"What?" She lifted her own pendant closer to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "How did you get this? I gave it to Van!"
"I know my lady." He said.
"Then what happened to him! What did you do to him?" She exclaimed, her anxiety growing by the second.
"We did nothing. King Van was a victim of war."
"What do you mean? Where is Van?" Hitomi stared hard, searching his eyes for lies.
"Dead."
"No." she gasped, crumpling to the floor once again.
vvvvvvvvvv
A/N: So what do you think? If I get a few reviews, I'll keep going with this story. I've never written an Escaflowne fic before, so I'm not sure about this one. Please let me know if you're interested. I promise to give responses and possibly cookies. grin
PS: I also write Inuyasha fics, so please read those if you enjoy the series.
Next Time: Is Van really dead? Who is Thamos and what does he want? Where is Merle and Allen and Millerna and all? Where is Hitomi and how did she get back to Gaea?