Broken Inside [1/? | R]

[Leia Avenrose]

Disclaimer: I don?t own Vision of Escaflowne; as usual, they belong to their rightful owners.
Dedication: To the readers. (Damn, how is it that I?m pulling all these Escaflowne stories out of my ass?!)





Broken Inside
By: Leia Avenrose
Rating: R



Chapter One ? Left Behind

She cried out, feeling the skin on her back tear open. The bones of her shoulders shifted painfully, jutting out abruptly. Blood stained alabaster feathers, the wings hanging limply from her back as she fell forward, landing hard on her knees. She couldn?t breathe, couldn?t think straight. What had just happened?

The stab of pain was quick, stealing the very breath from her lungs. She gasped for air, a hand flying to her chest. She clutched at the red shirt hanging off her shoulders, groaning, and her face contorted into a mask of pain and terror as she screamed out. The wings on her back stirred, pushing out of her skin some more until full extended, bone cracking as it grew in length.

Hitomi Kanzaki fell forward, barely supporting herself on an elbow. Perspiration matted her hair to the sides of her face, her skin deathly pale. Something wet and warm trickled down the length of her back, and she shuddered, her fingers digging into the skin on her chest. Why did it feel as though someone had put her heart in a vise and squeezed without even telling her or thinking about the pain they would cause her?

Why did it hurt so much? What was going on? Where was she?

She tried to look back at what had happened, at who might have struck her from behind, but the mind jarring sting in her neck forced her to keep her face facing in front of her.

Pushing herself to her feet, she staggered forward, grunting, and grasped the thick bedpost. She rested her damp cheek against the cool wooden surface, closing her eyes. She was being weighed down from behind; why, how?

Hitomi moved away from the bed, forcing herself forward, and suddenly froze at what she saw reflected back in the mirror standing four feet away from her.

?No?? she breathed, shock numbing her mind. She shook her head frantically, unconsciously outstretching the wings. Her hands shot up, clutching the sides of her head; again she shook her head, fingers digging into her scalp, tangling in the thick dark strands. ?No!?


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She shot up in bed, gasping out. Heart lodged in her throat, she fought to catch her breath, her chest painfully tight. Hitomi brought trembling hands to her throat, rubbing it, and swallowed heavily, trying to calm herself.

?It was only a dream, it had to be, it couldn?t have been real,? she muttered, massaging the back of her neck now. Leaning forward, feeling the blankets bunched around her waist and legs shift beneath her, she put her face in her hands, taking deep breaths. ?Just a dream, that?s all it was, Hitomi. A dream.?

To prove herself right, she cupped her breasts, feeling them fit in her hands perfectly and sighed deeply in relief. She let her head fall back as a sudden breeze drifted through the room, cooling her damp, hot skin, and her hands fell onto her lap. Footsteps outside the bedroom door caught her attention, and she tensed, waiting for her mother or perhaps her brother to come in.

The door remained closed, but the footsteps continued down the hall, pausing briefly once before starting up again.

Hitomi untangled her legs from the sheets, pushing them to the back of the bed and pulled her nightshirt down some, her feet touching the plush carpet. Suddenly, she cried out, jumping in fright, her hands flying to her throat. The door opened again, slamming shut. Once ? twice. With each slam she cried out, her heart flying further up in her throat.

Her eyes scanned the darkness, searching for anyone who might?ve come into her room, and a sudden thought dawned on her: Why hadn?t her mother, or even her brother, come running to investigate? Surely they had heard it?

Hitomi tried to swallow past the thick lump in her throat, and screamed, jumping back as the gray hands shot forward through the darkness and clamped down on each side of her face. She struggled, reaching up, her hands grasping the disgustingly thin wrists. Deep green eyes stared blankly into her pale, frightened ones, the tribal tattoos on the hollow face standing out in contract, the skin pale and gray.

Thick lips parted, a white light gradually brightening from within the once dark caverns of its mouth. Hitomi opened her mouth to scream, digging her nails into the flesh, and tried to kick out. Suddenly she was engulfed in a bright white light, and her mind went blank as she went blind. Her hands slipped off the wrists, her head growing light.

You died; I saw you die. I felt your death, her mind cried out, remembering the gruesome scene. Zongi...

Hitomi jerked slightly, shivering uncontrollably, and found she couldn?t tear her eyes away from those hovering in front of her, dark against the blinding light.

I?ll protect you. I'll protect you, Hitomi.

Her eyes widened at the voice that echoed in her mind, and as the being in front of her visibly changed before her, she felt her heartbeat gradually slow, her eyes staring straight ahead, unblinking. Even as she fell back into the bed, her skin clinging to her bones, her body dying, she felt the warmth of the white light as it changed to a dark pink.

Before her eyes grew heavy and fell shut, she saw the deep brown eyes set in a rugged, handsome face, dark stubble shadowing the sides of a strong jaw and chin, lips thick and set in a grim line; thick black hair hung forward along the deep brow.

And then she saw it; the pink pendant.

Her body went numb, and then cold, her last breath that of his name, shuddered and soft.


To be continued.

[ice princess]

WHAAAAAA??????? Holy mother of the most high, where do you come up with these addictions, Leia?!?!?! Now I'm swept into ANOTHER ONE!!!!!!! ARG!!!!!! They get better as they go, too!!! While I was ready to form theories about the other ones, this fic has got me completely stumped. What's going on???? The description was beautiful, haunting and suspenseful, and the action was exhilarating!!! But I want to know WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN!!! Sweet lord, you've got to update all of these fabulous fics!!!!

[Leia Avenrose]

*holds up a hand* I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. I can't tell ya what's going on! You have to wait, my precccioussss..