Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne

Summary: Van is now king of Fanelia and Hitomi is back on Earth. They meet each other in their dreams, but one day, Van doesn't turn up. Simultaneously, a new student arrives at her school. It's Van, but he's different - and he doesn't remember her.

A/N: this is my first Escaflowne fic so bear with me on the facts. I'm not a Hitomi fan, but I love Allen and Van (sorry to my friend Miyuki, who also loves Van). Basically I wrote this when I watched this really sad movie called 'Lavender' about a girl who's pining for her dead fiancé, only to find that he's been reincarnated into a bull. Funny thing, finding he's a bull, but it was quite sad for her.

Anyway, enjoy!

- Chapter One -

The lonely figure of a teenage girl, dressed in a loose, comfortable tracksuit, sat in the middle of the stadium seats, overlooking the track oval. It was dark already, so dark that one could only barely manage to see the silhouettes of another person standing within ten metres of seeing distance. The girl, however, couldn't care less as she ran fingers dully through her short brown hair. It didn't matter if it was dark or not.

For Hitomi, the only thing that mattered was the moon. Or, as she knew, moons that orbited Earth. The first moon was that typical one that scientists explored and made discoveries about. This fact didn't bother her in the slightest and neither did the moon itself. What she was really interested in was the presence of the second moon, Gaia.

Gaia was the planet created by the power of the inhabitants of Atlantis, prior to their destruction. She had been their once before - no, twice, including the time she had returned to Earth briefly and then went back - and it was there she had met the one person she knew she would love and cherish, even if they were in different universes. But now she had no way of going back - she had given her pendant away to her love, Van of Fanelia, before she left, and it had been her only method of going back there.

God, how she missed Gaia. She missed its lush forests, beautiful architecture and wonderful people. Most of all, she missed the many friends she'd made on her adventure to help save the people. There was Allen Schezar, who had reminded her strongly of her best friend's boyfriend and former crush, Amano. And Millerna, the princess, who had loved Allen for years and yet said nothing when he openly confessed his love for Hitomi. Ah yes, the love she had shared with Allen - that brief and wronged romance caused by the Fate Altering Machine. In many ways, it was that brief love that had pushed her towards the one she now pined for day in, day out.

Van Fanel, the young king of the rebuilt Fanelia, the love she had worked so hard, been through so much, to find. He was up there, probably watching the Earth as she was watching Gaia, thinking about her. They had not seen each other, face to face, for almost a whole year. She missed him most of all - his awkward gentleness, his rare but genuine smile, his stubbornness and selfless good nature. It was their love and their thoughts of each other that let them meet in their dreams, to talk and to be together as they slept.

Hitomi breathed a sigh. She would be able to see him again tonight. Perhaps they would talk about how Fanelia was doing, what the others had been up to while she was gone. Then she would ask about him, what was life like now that Fanelia's people had returned and peace had been restored. And, of course, she would ask about Escaflowne.

It was because of Escaflowne they had been brought together in the first place. If Van hadn't been chasing the dragon so to gain control over the Guymelef Escaflowne, he wouldn't have been brought to Earth and they wouldn't have met. If Escaflowne hadn't been there to help, then Van would have died and he wouldn't have been able to bring her back to Gaia and they wouldn't have discovered their love. Yes, their lives were owed to Escaflowne.

-

"Van? VAN! It's me, Hitomi! I'm here!"

Hitomi, dressed in her school uniform - the same uniform she had worn when she first went to Gaia - looked around her. This was their usual meeting place; she recognised the huge tree on the cliff overlooking the capital of Fanelia. It was here she had found Van before, and where they had promised to meet. She was in the right place - but where was he? Where was Van?

"Van, where are you?"

Still, no response. Suddenly, a faint shuffling came from the other side of the tree. The sound of small bells tinkling was heard as a cat-girl hybrid jumped out of the bushes to crouch in front of her. Hitomi gasped. Merle's tanned face looked up at her unseeingly, her eyes focused on something behind the girl. Hitomi passed a hand tentatively over the cat's face a few times. Merle didn't even blink. Then Hitomi tried to touch her - her hand passed right through. Fighting the urge to cry out, Hitomi realised her mistake.

"Merle can't see me. I remember now. This is Van and my dream and that means no one else can see what's going on. But why is Merle here? Where's Van?"

"Van-sama," Merle whimpered pitifully. "Where are you Van-sama?"

"Van's missing?"

"Come back to Fanelia, Van-sama," Merle continued, still seeing straight through Hitomi, which thoroughly unnerved the girl. "Where did you disappear to now?"

This continued on for some moments, until Merle took one last, sad look at the sky behind Hitomi and scurried away, back to the palace. Hitomi tried to process the situation through her head. Van wasn't in Fanelia. He hadn't turned up for their meeting and even Merle didn't know where he was. What in the worlds was going on?

"VAN!"

-

The next morning, Hitomi prepared for school without much enthusiasm. She barely knew what she was eating, nearly tripped over a crack in the pavement on the road and wasn't even in the mood to talk to Yukari, or Amano. Her thoughts were on Van, on where he was and what he was doing. She wanted - no, NEEDED - to know whether or not he was safe. Yukari and Amano, however, didn't know what was going on.

"Hitomi-chan, what's wrong?" Yukari asked. "You seem down."

"Are you worried about the next track competition?" Amano guessed. "You don't have to be, you know. You're already certain to win first place in your heats."

"Thanks, guys, but there's nothing wrong." Hitomi sighed, setting her bag down on her desk. "I just didn't get enough sleep last night. I've got a bit of a headache, that's all."

Yukari and Amano didn't seem convinced, but shrugged and left her alone. Hitomi gazed out the window broodingly. Maybe schoolwork and training would take her mind off Van, if even for only a little while. She couldn't sleep, worrying about Van, or concentrate on anything. Several guys tossed a soccer ball in between them.

Hitomi dropped everything she was holding and jumped to her feet.

"Van . . .?"

It was definitely him. There was no mistaking the unruly black hair and those crystal clear, cool eyes. Unless she was hallucinating, Hitomi could have sworn Van had just walked into the school gates, dressed in their uniform and holding a bag with their school crest on it. She looked down to pinch herself. Satisfied that she wasn't dreaming Hitomi looked back up.

He had vanished.

Hitomi was about to turn around and run out the door to find him when the bell rang to signal the beginning of class. Resigning to the fact that she would have to look for him later, Hitomi sat back down again, looking slightly happier, but still rather shocked. Van had come here to Earth, dressed as a student, at her school. It was unbelievable - impossible even.

But, as the door slid open and a lean, young man stepped in, she knew it had happened.

"Class, please welcome our new student - Van Fanel."

- End of Chapter One -

A/N: ooh

Sorry, this is my first Escaflowne fic, so if it's not right, then I'M REALLY SORRY! For one thing, I don't remember all the facts (hey, my friend downloaded it from the net) and another, I don't remember Van's eye colour. It's either blue or brown.

Anyway, does it sound weird? If it does, you'll have to tell me, cos then I'll change it a bit.

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Bittersweet Angel Chika