This section is up only for a limited time (that would be, the two weeks that the V-H main page thing is going on).
It goes over some events that happened between Van and Hitomi during the series, but most of it is my mindless ramblings as I listen to my bithday present, Escaflowne OST 2. ^_^
WARNING: This section contains spoilers.

Now, I don't go for superficial people. I never have, I never will. I'm not saying that Allen is superficial, his kindness is for real, but what bothers me about him is that he tends to go over the top when it comes to charming women.
He seemed to be doing a really good job of having Hitomi blush, and it wasn't long into the ep before we knew that Hitomi was in love with him.
I saw this, and my immediate reaction was, "Hey, what about that other guy?[Van]" I paused and thought, "Hitomi seems like a fairly smart character. Surely she can't be falling for the blond dude's antics!" but it seemed she was. I decided to keep up with this amusing series, mostly because it was so unique and awesome, what with the "guymelefs" and the incredible music and animation and storyline. But those weren't the only thing that had me continuing to be up by 11am on Saturday mornings (which soon changed to Monday nights at 7:30pm, Thrusdays at 7pm, Sundays at 2pm, and then Mondays at 9:30pm).
My curiousity about this love triangle was piqued. By the third ep (cut) I was wondering if Hitomi would ever go for the "more realistic" guy, and what his feelings were towards her.
I was hooked. I just had to know... what about the idea of a Van-Hitomi relationship?

And so, I began to watch.
I found myself falling in love with not only the hope that Van and Hitomi would be together, but the music, the whole ideas of guymelefs, the dozens of revelations, the music, the plot, the many character sketches, and the animation.

I think our first clear sign that Van liked Hitomi a little more than someone he had sworn to protect was in ep 5, when Hitomi entered the room in a princess's dress, and Van's mouth was found hanging open in awe.
From that point on, my suspicions about Van and what he felt for "The girl from the Mystic Moon" were confirmed.
After that, the expectancy that these two would get together grew stronger. I watched, as episode by episode, Van grew more and more "in love" (I put that in quotation marks because I know a lot of people disagree that he was ever in love with her till the final episodes) with Hitomi. It bothered me that she was still drooling over the sight of Allen.
It made me wonder if Van had a chance.

By the time episode 7 had come, my curiousity was so great (especially about Van's wings!) that I began to research the series on the 'net. I found a site that gave episode summaries, and me, being the "cat" that I am, read the ending. I was pleased to know that Hitomi would finally realize her feelings for Van, but devastated when I found out that in the end, she would not stay with him, and instead would return to earth.

The feelings Van had for Hitomi enlarged. If the viewers had not recognized yet what he felt, they were assured in episode 9 when, as Van was in the process of saving Hitomi's life, begged her not to leave him.

Episodes passed, more revelations came about, including the big one in episode 12 when Van sprouted his wings in a burst of pain, revealing them to Allen, Millerna, and anyone else who happened to be on board the Crusade when it happened.

Episode 16 brought forth a lot of stuff between Van and Hitomi... none of it good. It started off by him asking what was wrong when Hitomi looked sad, and that found them in an abandoned windmill where the Escaflowne was being kept. A little while after handing her a piscuss, Van told her that it wasn't like her to be so depressed. She realized that he was trying to make her feel better.
The next thing Van said was what pretty much completely revealed what he felt for her...: "I want you to stay with me... stay with me from now on, that is." This words caused the girl to drop her snack in shock, and she was even more startled when he shouted "I want you!"
However, Van went a little too far to his "confession" and insulted her by accident, earning him a good slap on the face and Hitomi running out the door.
Van's shame and sadness was only mulitiplied when he watched, heartbroken, as Hitomi and Allen shared a passionate kiss on the bridge, à la Fate Machine.

The little obstacle caused a little bit of a ripple in their normally good relationship. In ep 18, Van was actually regarding her in the same way that he did in the first episode... similar to a certain Shania Twain song, "she didn't impress him much".

However, Van quickly retook his heart's desire when Hitomi was sent back to Earth, her home. As he lay on the rooftop of the windmill, gazing longlingly at the Mystic Moon,  Merle approached him, telling him that he was in love with Hitomi, that she had known for a long time, but he still hadn't decided.
Hitomi, meanwhile, missed Van so much that she cried. She wanted so much to see him again, and sure enough, with the help of Dornkirk's machine, Hitomi's re-living of the Fateful Day, and Van and his mission to gain back the girl he loved, they were reunited. Van came so close to saying that he'd never let her go, but she threw her arms around him, cutting him off.

The next episode had Allen telling Hitomi how much Van loved her, and apologizing for himself, chuckling that it was the first time that a woman had ever refused his advances. Van and Hitomi were now so close that she was able to feel what he was...
remorse when he destroyed, pain when he was able to sense Folken's death.

The last episode was by far, the saddest one. It some senses, it was also nice because Hitomi finally realized that she was in love with Van, his smell, and everything about him.
Later in the episode, she found herself running towards him with love in her heart as he flew twoards her, scooping her up in his arms and flying away with her.
The ending caused tears to well up in my eyes and drip down my cheeks as I watched Van and Hitomi part, her eyes watering as they hugged goodbye. Hitomi promised him that she'd never forget him. The energist was raised and the blue pillar of light shot down and swept her away, back to her home, as everyone watched.
"Hitomi," was the last word that Van said before Hitomi drifted away. But they still kept in touch, with their hearts so full of love for each other.

Like I mentioned in the mindless rambling at the beginning, I was hooked on finding out whether these two would get together.
I was so pro-Van and Hitomi, and I was deeply saddened when they said goodbye.

Van and Hitomi had a good relationship. Unlike those "Perfect relationships" that are often found in series, these two had a relationship that was realistic. They were both hestitant, uncertain, but cared so deeply for each other that it hurt (often literally). They also had their share of arguments and tiffs. It was real, which is probably why I enjoyed watching them so much.

I was sad at the end when I realized that they really weren't going to get together.
However, when it comes to the ending of Escaflowne, I believe that there are two types of people... optimists and pessimists.
(the optimists see the donut, the pessimists see the hole)
The pessiments think that Van and Hitomi will never see each other again.
The optimists think that Van and Hitomi will be together again, soon, and at last share that kiss that never was in season one.
Then again...

I'm an optimist. There's much that we don't know about what happened in between episodes.
This can cause some thinking, as to "what happened during that time"?
For all we know, Van and Hitomi did kiss, but it was never shown.
*shrugs*
That's what fanfics are for, neh?

All in all, I think that the Draconian and the "Earthling" made the sweetest anime couple I have ever seen, but I wish that the creator had put in some more episodes to depic the love.
But then again, maybe he ended it like he did... purposely. Sure, it ticked a lot of people off when, at the end, Van and Hitomi didn't share that inevitable kiss that soon became evitable. (I'm one of them -_-')
But then, take into consideration the other side. Had Hitomi and Van kissed, she might have been even more reluctant to leave. In french class last semester, we read a play called Zone. It was basically about this group of teenagers who sold illegal cigarettes. Anyway, at the end, the two lovers, Ciboulette and Tarzan, have to say their last goodbyes to each other because they both know he's going to die. Ciboulette wants to kiss him goodbye, but Tarzan warns her that she'll be even more unhappy if she does.
All that to say, maybe there was reasoning behind them not kissing. Can you imagine how even more depressed Van would get if the last time he saw Hitomi was when their lips locked? He'd long so much to feel her lips on his again that he may have totured himself to death. And of course, Hitomi would be feeling the same.
How morbid.

But as I mentioned earlier, there are two types of people when it comes to the ending of ending of Escaflowne... pessimists and optimists.
I'm an optimist. I believe that in a few years after their seperation, Van and Hitomi reunite, and live happily ever after.
It makes the ending less sad.
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*shrugs* it's your choice.