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Chapter 1

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A/N: My first Escaflowne fan fiction. I’ve always loved the series and I’ve held onto this idea just for it. Well, enjoy!

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“Mom! Stop it! I’m going to be late!” I gasped as she tightened the blue scarf around my collar as I stooped and hopped around on one foot. My neck was craned to the side as I tried jamming on my last loafer on the foot in the air. “I can do it when I go out! I’m going to miss the train, mom! MOM!” My mother only smiled pleasantly adding to my frustration, “Hitomi, it’s cold outside, okay? Just let me help you.” I sighed and with one last painful tug, my shoe was on. Without wasting any time, I ran to the door, “Bye mom!”

“Be careful honey! It’s rai---” I heard her say before I dashed off toward the stairs on our apartment complex. Well, at least that’s what I think she said. I was a quick track runner and bad listener when I was rushed.

My hurried footsteps on the cement staircase echoed as I ran down, my scarf swinging madly from side to side. The sixth floor, fifth floor, fourth floor…. First floor! I was going so fast I had to use the wall to stop me before I turned the corner and into the small lobby trying to catch a breath. To my dismay, it was raining heavily outside. Unfortunately, I had left with such haste that I just realized what my mom had been trying to tell me on the way out. Giving myself a mental kick and cursing the time, I burst out the double doors without an umbrella. I pushed and shoved through the crowded avenues in our city swamped with thousands of people. Yup, it was another typical day of my life, living in Tokyo, Japan.

The rain made my blue pleaded skirt cling to my thighs and legs, as my navy blazers were soaked against my torso and arms. It was a good thing that this wasn’t a spring storm or else I’d be running in the rain with a white top instead. But even as I ran through this cold rainy storm, I still heard some teenage boys huddling under the store stands hooting at my wet form. I guess they were guys who didn’t go to school or something. But for now, all I knew was that I was feeling grim and wet to the bone. I pumped my legs faster towards the subway station, avoiding a collision with anyone else near by. Now my loafers were getting soaked and when I feet squished into them, I felt like I had put on sponges not shoes this morning. My knee-high navy socks were kind of muddy and likewise, sopping wet.

I practically skipped half the steps leading underground before getting a ticket from the lady behind the window. I fumbled for some money in my small pocket purse with wet shaky hands. I slapped down the amount needed to pay for that darn piece of paper. In return, she set the change down on the counter and asked for the next person in line. I took the coins she gave back and my ticket for the subway train. But it was just like me to get into an uncalled for accident.

Bang. My head had been lowered and I hadn’t been watching where I was walking.

Thus I had a collision. Perfect.

My money scattered onto the floor creating faint clinking sounds that rung in my head like church bells. My vision swarmed a bit and I felt a dull ache on my head. Somewhere. Heck, I didn’t even realize I had been falling until someone’s lightly tanned hand grabbed my arm with a surprisingly gentle but firm grip and pulled me up before I could hit the dirty wet subway floor. “Ow….” I blinked and looked up meeting two bright rusty colored eyes. They belonged to a handsome face with a smooth jaw line, framed by very black bangs. A friendly smirk graced his full healthy lips and a dark eyebrow was slightly quirked up in what I thought was a slightly amused expression. His nose was well sculpted on the center of his fine clear face and once again, his eyes captured my gaze once again.

They were so full of mystery…. I had never met someone with eyes like those and in that color…. We just stared for a moment more saying nothing before I remembered what happened and got really flustered, “I am so sorry, mister. I should’ve been looking where I was going and I---I---!” I should just clamp my jaw shut and not make a sound in fear of making a fool myself in front of this guy…this very…handsome guy, I thought as an after note of his fine lazy stance and admired his perfect physique. That was when I noticed that he also wore a navy blazer and dark navy pants. That was the boy’s uniform for my school!

Despite my red stained cheeks, he stooped low to pick up our things that I had knocked to the ground. I hurriedly went down on my knees and helped him. After our books and things were tucked safely in our arms, we both reached down to pick up my dropped coins and our hands touched.

You know how in those novels how they say when you touch someone special, the skin where you made contact gets all “hot and burns like fire?” Well, that certainly didn’t happen. Both of our hands were chilly to the feel, but I had to add that mine had also been very clammy and his were dry. I retracted my hand away quickly from his touch. Oh boy, I thought, I must really look like a wet dirty little girl in front of this cu--- err, reserved guy.

Suddenly, he laughed. My eyes widened a bit. It was a nice clear laugh without a nasal sound or too deep or too high a pitch. But that wasn’t why I was surprised. Up until we touched hands, I never even heard him say so much a word of an apology. “Am I really that handsome and reserved?” My mouth dropped a centimeter more as I opened and closed my mouth, fishing for an answer. But wait…. How did he know what I was thinking? “It’s cause you’re really predictable.”

I blinked. I wonder if I said that out loud. Maybe I said everything else out loud too! Oh damn…. Damn myself for always being speechless around cute guys when had to be talkative and too talkative when I had to be speechless! No wonder I don’t have a boyfriend…. He merely grinned cheekily at me before standing up and offering a hand to me, “You need help?”

I snapped out of my trance again and stuffed my change into my pocket purse and blushed nervously when my hand somehow slipped timidly into his, pulling me swiftly to my feet. Just as he let go, an announcement went off and my attention shifted to the speaker above a neon sign that said in English, “Lum Lum” on it. “Train A-35 is leaving for downtown Tokyo. Train A-35 is leaving for downtown Tokyo.” I felt the blood drain from my face when I heard that my train was going to leave without me. I looked to the side for the guy, but he had already disappeared! I looked all around for him, but he was seriously gone! I stood there a bit dumbfounded but another warning came loudly and pierced my thoughts, stabbing me back to reality. “Last call for boarding.” My mind felt fuzzed as I darted off to find my train ride forgetting all about the mysterious dark-haired boy. Instead, I focused on catching my train that looked like it was starting off already!!!

Luckily, the same old man who worked on the train saw me, a daily train rider running after the train for dear life. I saw his old wise eyes twinkle before he blew a silver whistle to stop the train before it had REALLY started without me. He shouted over the loud noise of the people at the station, “Hello Miss Hitomi! Late again as usual?” I grinned at him when I reached the door slightly tired from my sprinting. “Yeah, I’m afraid I’ll never very punctual,” I said as I passed him giving him my ticket, “Thanks a bunch Mr. Yama.” He smiled reminding me of the Jolly Old Santa from the Western holiday Christmas, “No problem. Oh, and your friend Yukari was worried about you. She should be somewhere in one of the carts waiting.” I turned around wiping a wet golden bang from my face and gave him a big smiley face that I thought could’ve reached my ears if I were to try.

I gripped onto the metal poles as I made my way down the center looking for my best friend since childhood, Yukari Uchida. I searched about the compartments, but I couldn’t find the redhead anywhere! I was about to sigh and give up when I felt a tap on the shoulder.

My heart seemed to skip a beat as I turned around expecting to come face to face with Yukari. Actually, it was more like I was expecting to see her bright red locks and her cheerful dimples when she smiled. Oddly enough, one would have supposed that we would have already separated from being best friends and gone on with our lives since we could no longer see eye to eye like the times when we were children. Well, if you thought that, you were obviously wrong. Yukari and I spent so much time together since we were kids that I guess we matured in sync. Sounds funny huh? I never found anything funny or strange about keeping a friend from years before though. She’s stuck up for me lots of times since she was always the most upbeat and active one of us.

Don’t get me wrong though. I would too. Mostly in front of the teachers at school though and usually not bullies on the playground. Yukari’s personality could sometimes drive a person up the wrong wall and she’d get in trouble that way. Teachers often thought of her to be too hyper or outspoken. That’s when I’d step in sometimes. I was quiet in school. Very quiet I might add and the teachers would actually listen to me when I said something. So we were as close as ever, looking out for each other. Thing is, I didn’t come face to face with that familiar friend of mine. Instead, I saw two men towering over from behind me. I suddenly felt very small and helpless by the way they looked me up and down. I felt disgusted as it was like their small ugly eyes were looking through my thoroughly wet clingy uniform. I felt dirty all over again and wanted nothing but to run as far away from those men as possible.

One of them leaned down from where he stood to look me right in the eyes. Naturally, I backed away and broke eye contact seeking for anyone else’s help. But there wasn’t anyone in this cart since I guess I accidentally stumbled in on their turf or something. My heart pounded fearfully within my rib cage; each beat beating faster than the one before. I was getting frantic and before I knew it, my legs bolted for the door to the next cart. But I didn’t get very far as a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist and pulling me back. My wet spongy loafers slipped from beneath me and I fell to the floor of the dim rattling train cart.

My left hand was still in the guy’s grip above my head. So thanks to my awkward position and the really hard bruising grip, my shoulder was beginning to ache and they looking like they were advancing on me. The other man that hadn’t touched me reached out and felt one of my legs and I paled considerably. It was like I was frozen, no, paralyzed with total fear and my limbs felt so stiff and my muscles tensed uncomfortably. Just then, one of them spoke. I couldn’t tell whom because my fear was paralyzing my brain and I could barely focus on anything. But I did hear things that made me want to wretch like, “…. Look at ‘er legs. S’ long and sexy; smooth too….” “Looks like one of ‘ose timid kinds. Bet she’ll be lots o’ fun to play with, ‘y think?” “Don’t we want those thick jackets off ’er…she’s gotta be loaded if she gots those legs huh?”

Just then, I snapped out of my trance for the, what, third time this morning? I seriously couldn’t remember too much. But being myself, I remained as calm as possible. I’ll leap when they least expect it, I thought. Being quite still, I concentrated on gathering my wits and strength, which very hard since their roaming hands had left my legs and were moving up my thigh. After all, who can concentrate on forming a plan to escape at the same time that they were trying hard to concentrate on not throwing up? But just when I gathered enough adrenaline and will power, the cart door flung open revealing a very miffed looking Yukari. Instead of a smile on her face, she looked down right pissed. Her teeth were clenched tightly in her mouth and her nose slightly flared reminding me of a bull ready to charge. Her bright eyes were livid and her delicate red eyebrows were knotted to the center angrily.

The men’s startled expressions melted away when they realized that she was only a girl. A girl with a very heavy student brief case clutched in her good hand and was one heck of a brilliant batter. “Leave her alone,” Yukari snapped. The men harassing me guffawed and let go of me. Their mistake and my escape.

I regained the use of my arms and legs and snatched my own things before running to Yukari’s side. She went in front of me, her bag looking ready to whack anything in her way senseless. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I wouldn’t know. The men also stood up completely, both well over six feet in height and made their way towards us snickering like idiots. But them not know Yukari well enough, they ambled closer and closer until Yukari ran forward swinging her brief case. The metal tipped edges whamming hard into their faces, sinking into their crude oily skin. I even heard a jawbone shift, crack, and get dislocated.

Both roared in pain and fury as they charges at us blindly. I guess it was just what Yukari wanted cause next she kicked the first guy who approached where it hurt most with her hard toed dress shoes that she usually wore to school. The man doubled over onto the train screeching and crying as his body tripped his partner. Yukari simply snorted and patted her poor bruised briefcase, “Ugh. Pathetic brutes. Hitomi, let’s go!” She faced me and smiled, “Amano’s waiting for us!” But I wasn’t looking at her. Instead, behind her, the second guy was getting to his feet rubbing at his mismatched jaw as he reached out with his hands towards us. Yukari’s body blocked his view as I rummaged through my own bag and found what I wanted. “Hitomi? Hitomi, are you all right?” My voice was still locked inside my throat unable to answer her. Instead, my hand shot out at her and forced her to the side when the man was only a few centimeters away. I aimed and pressed the top of my squirt bottle with my index finger a few times. The man reared back and yelled grabbing his eyes and tossing his head in all directions like an insane person. Just as he was rubbing madly at him, Yukari recovered, grabbed my blazer’s sleeves, and we were out of there in two seconds flat.

We reached the compartment where Yukari lead me. Just as Yukari said, Amano was there waiting for us though he was among many of the people standing up staring at us as we hurried towards them. “Yukari? Hitomi? Are you two all right?” Yukari took a breath and waved her hand at him to dismiss his questions for the time being. Everyone was staring at us. Many were other students from our school, girls and boys alike, and others were either business men, shoppers, or simply on their way to go somewhere. But all eyes left us when the door burst open again and in ambled those two men that were harassing me just moments before.

Their wide furious eyes were bloodshot and searched the space before landing on the two of us. I felt and saw Yukari visibly tense beside me and ready her grip again. But now Amano and a few other guys from our school stood up and surrounded all of us from them. The men knowing they had no chance to fight a whole group of healthy and strong guys, they grunted and the one that got kicked in the place spoke out, “Next ‘ime we see you chicks, we’ll strip you down to the core! Yer got tha?!” The atmosphere was stiff and tense even after those men left from where they came from.

Amano was the first to relax and ask questions as he faced us. I kept quiet the whole time as Yukari explained the whole ordeal back in the other train cart. My mind seemed to be else where as she talked, her lively voice turning into a droning sound when they reached my ears. I was still rather struck by what happened and I wasn’t about to let the threat go unnoticed by me. Unconsciously, I fingered my pepper spray bottle that I carried around with me.

I was staring at the train door where the men had left, my trusty pepper spray bottle still in my hands as I continued to fiddle with it. My hands stopped. The pepper spray bottle in them dropped to the floor with a clinking sound. I saw a pair of eyes staring into my own from behind the door’s small window. I couldn’t see the exact color behind the black tinted windows, but what I saw was very alluring. Mysterious dark eyes stared directly at me, the capturing gaze sinking deep inside me. I felt as if I was being read like an open book. I felt faint and not completely there and my eyelids were beginning to weigh a ton. They were so heavy to the point when they began drooping till the last thing I saw were those eyes…those beautiful alluring eyes. My limbs began to weaken and I hardly realized that I lost the strength in my legs as I dropped.

The last thing I heard was Yukari’s faint hysterical voice screaming my name over and over again. Please…. Just let me sleep, was my last thought, I’m so tired….

The last thing I felt were the mysterious presence of those eyes still staring calmly at me, watching me as I drifted into a complete oblivion.

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A/N: How’d you think it went? It’s my first shot at an Escaflowne fan fiction, so please don’t flame and char my effort and feelings. I tried and I hope you guys liked it.

Happy thanksgiving!

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