FicWad

Escaflowne2



Dream Desire: Chapter 2
New Reunions

///////////////escaflowne////////////////

When Hitomi's senses next came back to awareness, her first thought was that she wasn't laying in her own bed. The covers on the bed in her dorm had cheap, sensible cotton sheets, and the blanket she slept under was one from her early teen years and had seen better days. What she was laying on now were slick silk sheets with a downy soft cover atop her. A cool damp cloth was perched on her forehead, slightly squashing her bangs so they brushed her eyelids gently. With a small groan, Hitomi reached up to adjust her hair under the cloth so eventually she could open her eyes and see clearly. A strong, warm hand intercepted her own and held it before she moved the cloth.

"Easy now, let me take care of it," a voice that could only belong to Allen whispered. The cloth was taken off her head and her hand was directed to lay down beside her. Hitomi desperately wanted to see the face behind the voice, she wanted to see if this strange situation was still continuing. "Are you feeling a bit better now? Can you open your eyes?" he asked her with a concerned and rather brotherly tone. She didn't want to disappoint him, even if he wasn't real, so Hitomi once again opened her eyes to a sight she wasn't sure she was ready for.

With his deep blue eyes gazing straight into her newly opened ones, all Hitomi could get out was a breathy, "Oh". It was certainly Allen, and his brilliant smile at her awakening made her heart flutter a tiny bit. Though their hand had been forced in Gaea, the original affection she had for him was definitely real and he still had an effect on her. Behind him stood the faithful Merle and Millerna. Tearing her eyes from Allen's, Hitomi took stock of her surroundings. The room was well furnished and spacious, but it also contained a feeling of comfort. The items and furniture may have been expensive, but they were not the cold and unfeeling pieces that rich snobs stocked their homes with. There was a large window that took up at least half a wall overlooking a small forested area. All in all, Hitomi had no idea where she was. She turned her gaze back to her friends, all three of them looking at her hopefully.

"Where. . . where are we?" she asked weakly, knowing it wasn't what they were hoping to hear. Sure enough Millerna turned her head away and Merle "hmmed" disappointedly. Allen just seemed to stare harder at her, perfectly arched blonde eyebrows furrowing.

"Do you really not remember?" he asked, and she shook her head in the negative. "But you know who we are, correct?" At this she nodded. In a swift clean movement Allen stood from his seat beside the bed and began to pace with the fingers of his right hand resting on his forehead. Merle took his place in the seat and turned her curiosity on Hitomi.

"So how do you remember us if you don't even remember where Allen lives? And you never got to explain what Gaea was. So while Allen tries to think things through, I want to hear what's going on with you," she told Hitomi, poking a finger at her chest to emphasize the point. Allen stopped his pacing and turned to Hitomi, interested in the answer she would give. Millerna, too, was watching Hitomi with rapt fascination. Biting her bottom lip in anxiety, the girl in question wondered where she should even start. As a great person said, the best place to start is the beginning. So she told them everything that she knew. How she had met Van the first time and how she was transported to Gaea. She told them all of the adventure she had experienced five years in the past. The story got edited in a few places, and she felt too embarrassed to tell /everything/, but it all got across. She had not been keeping track of time at all that day, but by the time Hitomi was finally finished telling her story the light from the room's window had faded. Allen and Millerna had found seats during the telling and the three had listened the whole time without interrupting.

"And so I left Gaea and came back to earth. But besides seeing Van for a moment every now and then, I haven't seen any of you for five years. And last night. . . last night I felt so alone and wished to see you all. . . and when I woke up this morning. . ." she finished with a small sniff, wiping the tears from her face. It had taken a lot out of her to retell the story. When she looked at her three friends she felt the spell of silence that had enveloped the room. Millerna was staring wide eyed at Hitomi, slightly biting the tip of her thumb and trying to absorb everything Hitomi had told them. Merle was gawking at her in anxious disbelief, and Allen seemed lost in his thoughts. No one dared to break the silence. Allen had seemed to come to a conclusion and was about to finally speak when there was a loud crash and wild footsteps running towards the closed door of the room. Another crash sounded when that door was thrown open to reveal a flushed and panting Van Fanel. He took a quick look in the room and locked his eyes on the girl in the bed.

"Hitomi!" was all he said before racing to her side and grabbing her hand. She couldn't help but blush at his ardent attention and those chocolate eyes staring so deeply into hers. "I heard. . . Millerna called. . . you - are you all right?" he stammered out. At that moment Dryden decided to walk into the room, having come with Van but deciding to take a slightly slower pace than the harried youth. Though everyone else turned their attention to the new entry, Van still had his eyes locked on Hitomi.

"She looks okay to me, now that she's awake. So what's the scoop around here?" Dryden asked while joining Millerna, Merle, and Allen. With the excitement over everyone's eyes were once again on Hitomi. She was staring at Van's hand wrapped around hers and blushing to match the crimson sheets beneath her.

"She just told us everything, so let's not make her go through it again. We can give you the replay while Hitomi eats something, all right?" Allen spoke, mostly to Van who was looking like he didn't want to leave. "She hasn't eaten anything all day, so you wouldn't want her to miss dinner, now would you?"

Van gently placed Hitomi's hand back down and stood up, glaring at Allen. Giving Hitomi a last look, Van joined Dryden and Merle leaving the room. The black haired boy waited at the exit for a moment.

"I want to hear the story from you, Allen. So you better come as well," he said brusquely, then left. Allen just smiled wryly, amused at Van's very apparent jealousy.

"Well Hitomi, I've got some good dinner made up, so don't worry about the food. And Millerna will stay with you as she has the most medicinal training. Merle and I will relate your tale to the newcomers, and then if you are feeling well, we can come back in here with you. Does that sound good, Hitomi?" Allen asked softly.

"I - I think so. I'm so sorry about. . ." she trailed off, not too sure what she was apologizing for. Was it for causing this mess? Or for being unconscious most of the day? Maybe for taking up Allen's bed? Hitomi was still so unsure on everything that had happened.

"Sorry about what? There is nothing to be sorry about, so don't fret. Just get better," he said jauntily, then turned to Millerna. "There's all sorts of food in the kitchen so both of you choose whatever seems best. If there's any trouble just call out, we'll be down the hall in the sitting room," then he gave both girls a charming smile. "Try not to have too much fun while I'm gone, ladies."

With Allen gone to join the others, Millerna took the seat next to the bed. She was looking everywhere but at Hitomi's face. Hitomi didn't really know what to say either, but the tension became too much for the green eyed girl and she finally spoke out.

"So," she said, and Millerna's eyes finally rested on Hitomi's, "since I don't remember. . . anything. . . from now. . . Could you tell me?" she asked. Though she knew Gaea was not just a dream, a small part of her was curious as to how all her friends had suddenly come here with memories included. Millerna was looking both worried and resigned.

"So you really have no memory at all of us? This life?" she asked out of courtesy. Though she had never experienced memory loss to this degree in her studies, stress could do funny things to the mind. Maybe it would help Hitomi to remind her of the past, trigger a memory or two. When Hitomi reaffirmed she had no clue of this life, Millerna began.

"Well, we met in junior high when you came into the nurse's office for a sprain from track. I was helping her out as an independent study thing. I don't know why exactly, but we became friends then. You introduced me to Merle and Van. The three of you had known each other since kindergarten," Millerna paused to see if any of this was getting through to Hitomi, but her face was blank. "I introduced you to Allen, who I knew through my sister. This isn't actually just Allen's house, he and Dryden both share it, though Allen pays most of the bills since he was left with a large inheritance. With no other family. . . well, Allen took a shine to you since you reminded him of his sister before she got abducted. That's why he became a private investigator you know, to try and find her.

"You, Van, Merle, and I all went to the same high school as well, but only you and Merle go to the same college. I decided to go to medical school and Van is training to be in the elite police force. His brother was in the Yakuza and he ended up being killed for it, so I think Van wants to stop things like that from happening to anyone else he cares about it. But he'll just tell you he likes to take down evil," she joked with a small laugh. Hitomi smiled distantly.

"Dryden is a journalist, and he somehow managed to make his way into our little group. I wouldn't think he and Allen would get along, but their professions go together very well, so maybe that's it," Millerna speculated, then looked at Hitomi closely. "None of this rings any bells what so ever? I mean, some of your memories seem to match, like Allen's sister missing and Van's brother working for the wrong side. Do you think that could possibly be bleed-over from this life?"

Hitomi was thinking quite the opposite, that their lives on Gaea had been brought over to earth, but she didn't know how to tell Millerna that with out worrying her more, so she just gave a noncommittal "hmm".

"Well anyway, I'll go get us some dinner. I know Allen has some lasagna in the kitchen that I can easily heat up. Does that sound good to you?" she asked, getting up to head to the kitchen.

"Sure, lasagna sounds fine. Thank you, Millerna," Hitomi replied. When the other girl was out of the room, Hitomi let herself sigh loudly. What was going on, and how could she fix whatever she had done?

///////////////escaflowne////////////////

So ends another chapter. Believe it or not, I do have a sort of plan for this, but I'm still uncertain about the ending. Once again, let me know if there are any mistakes and a big thanks to my readers and reviewers! Until next time.
~Mako3