I do not own The Vision Of Escaflowne. If I did, do you really think I would be a poor college student doing fanfiction? Puh-leeze. I would be working on the next installment for TV. This story has 26 chapters scripted out so far and as it progresses I make revisions; so you may want to re-read former chapters as it goes along. Also, I will try my hardest to get out one chapter a week, most likely Sunday evening; so pretend it really is on TV. But I am a college student, so there are other priorities. Thanks.

When I am done with the final revision of a chapter, I will put in this spot "FINAL REVISION".

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The Vision of Escaflowne: Return to Gaea

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~*~ Chapter 1: A Fateful Wish ~*~

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Was it all just a dream or vision? NO. It was real. And then, somehow, it happened again. It all began one day with an unexpected wish…

~***~ ~***~ ~***~

      Hitomi Kanzaki was riding in the van that contained members of the University Track Team. There were five girls including her and three guys. The girls were Yukari, the team manager, Sakura Jino, Nala Lulo, and Vannesa Turr, a student from the United States. The guys were Amano, former track star of the high school guy's team who was visiting with the team while on vacation, Hiro Yomato, and Ken Woro.
      All of the members in the van were Japanese natives except Vannesa Turr. Vannesa was five foot eight inches tall with shoulder length black hair and brown eyes so dark the were often thought to be black, too. She had a distinct look to her but none of the others could pinpoint where she came from ethnically. And when asked what her background was, Vannesa would just shrug and say, "I am an American mutt."
      The team was currently on their way to a track meet and had gotten stuck in a traffic jam. Ken was driving with Hiro riding shotgun. The girls and Amano were chatting except Vannesa who was sitting on the last row of seats on the driver's side staring outside the window. Hitomi was sitting next to her.
      "Well, I think it's a fact that we are late for the track meet," said Yukari. Yukari was a stickler for punctuality, but her organizational skills and tendency to be on time was of great asset to her position as team manager. With a slim athelitic build of five foot seven inches with deep auburn red hair that fell to mid -back and dark brown eyes, Yukari was a powerhouse to be reckoned with when it came to 'her' team.
      "Yup," agreed Nala. Nala was the group's unofficial clown. She was of the same height and build of Yukari with yellow-orange hair that fell to the top of her shoulders and light sky-blue eyes.
      "Do you think they will still let us run?" asked Sakura. Sakura was the group's official brain. The tallest girl on the team, at five foot eleven inches, her athletic build was slim and willowy. Her hair, a dark violet, would fall to the bottom of her shoulders if she should ever take out of the pony tail she always wore, was a great contrast to her amber-yellow eyes.
      "I am not sure. I don't think we have ever been late before," joked Hiro. Hiro was the group's resident technical whiz and Renaissance man. Standing at five foot nine inches, Hiro was the shortest male present. His slighty heavy build, accented by his military cut light green hair and eyes, fooled one too many opponnet on the track; Hiro was the fastest memeber of the team.
      "Well, if this bloody traffic doesn't start moving we might as well get out and start running for it," griped Ken. Ken, A.K.A. the 'Complainer', would have been the group's official jerk (if he hadn't complained so much). His good looks and slim athelictic build, six foot even with short dark blue hair and eyes, were always marred by the foot Ken kept sticking into his mouth
      "Don't worry, Ken. Even if we are late at least we arrived safely," said Amano.
      "Yes," agreed Hitomi.
      Throughout this discussion Vannesa remained characteristically silent, still staring out the window. She was not much of a talker.
      The traffic jam had become worse. Now at this point the van was not even moving.
      "Wonderful. Just bloody wonderful," snapped Ken. "I wish this bloody mess would clean up!"
      Most everyone in back smiled at Ken's expected comment. They all knew Ken to be an excellent driver who hated bad traffic, and wasn't afraid to complain about it.
      "I wish we were not even here," stated Vannesa. Everyone turned and looked at her. Vannesa was not a big conversationalist, but when she did speak she always spoke what was on her mind with brutal honestly. It was the first time she had spoken since the trip had started.
      Hitomi looked Vannesa in the eyes. Every time Hitomi looked at Vannesa she thought she saw something familiar in those dark brown eyes but she couldn't put her finger on it.
      "Hey!!!" yelled Ken. "We have movement!" He hit the gas and got the van going.
      "In fact, I wish with my whole being we as far away as you can get from all this," Vannesa continued. The whole group, minus the attention-on-the-road Ken, smiled. They knew she was being her frank usual self.
      Vannesa just then saw a soft light emanating from underneath her shirt. She pulled the front of her shirt out to see what it was. There, resting right beneath the junction of her collarbones, was a sapphire pendant. The soft glowing light was coming from it.
      "HUH?" she thought to herself. "My pendant! It's…glowing?"
      Suddenly, their van was caught up in a beam of white light. Most of the girls started screaming and all the guys started yelling as the van was being lifted into the air. Vannesa just sat there - stunned. Hitomi sat there off-balanced to the core of her being as she watched that familiar white column of light take her and the rest away from earth. Her only thought was, "Am I going back to Gaea? And the memories rushed back to the forefront of her mind.

~***~

      Gaea. Dragons. Knights. Princesses. Fantastic battles. Legendary places. Floating fortresses. And an angel...
      Van.


~***~

      The van flew through space and started to come down. The light was merciful this time; the van settled to the ground gently, like when a mother lays down an infant to bed. Unfortunately, Ken had been pushing the gas peddle the entire time and the moment the tires gained enough traction it shot off like a run away rocket.
      Ken fought to control the vehicle on the alien terrain and had just gotten it under control when out of nowhere a large metallic object appeared in the way.
      Hitomi saw it and recognized it immediately - it was a guymelef.

~***~ ~***~ ~***~

      Elsewhere…

      In the open courtyards of the Fanelian Royal Palace sat King Van Slanzer de Fanel, ruling monarch of Fanelia. He was entertaining his guests, Allen Shazar and his sister, Celena, of Astoria for lunch al fresco. They had come for Fanelia's yearly autumn festival, a tradition started after the Fates War when Fanelia had been rebuilt and restored six years ago. Merle, his ever present childhood companion, was also in attendence.
      Fanelia was teeming with people from all over Gaea. The festival drew onlookers from across all over with its lively atmosphere and the good bargains waiting around each and every corner. Merchants from across the globe found this to be a fine place for profit.
      Van Fanel was listening to the banter between his friends when he saw a light from the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw the familiar column of light and gasped out loud causing the people around him to turn and look at him and then they too saw the light. As they were looking, even more people turned to watch the spectacle before them. The column flowed strongly from the heavens to the earth for a few seconds then disintegrated.
      Van Fanel sat there, stunned. The last time he had saw such a light was years ago when Hitomi left to return to the Mystic Moon. And the memories came rushing back

~***~

      The girl with golden brown hair and gray green eyes who somehow followed him back to Gaea and Fanelia from the Mystic Moon. She, who had saved his life so many times, and at one point, even his soul. Could Hitomi have returned?
      Hitomi…


~***~

      Van rose shakily to his feet. Those closest to him immediately began asking questions.
      "Did you see that?"
      "Van, wasn't that the light that took Hitomi back to the Mystic Moon?"
      "Is it possible that that was Hitomi?"
      Van said nothing. He heard all the murmurings around him and simply kept gazing in the direction where the light had been.
      "Could it be…" he asked to himself.

~***~ ~***~ ~***~

      Hitomi watched as the guymelef raised its right arm and swung right at the side of the van. It did not have its sword in its hand so the blow didn't cut through the vehicle. It did hid hard enough to send the van rolling over twice. Everyone was wearing seat belts so no bodies were thrown out of the vehicle, but Vannesa hit her head against the glass, shattering it and blood started streaming down her face. The van landed on its wheels hard.
      "Ken, get us the hell out of here!" screamed Nala.
      Ken hit the gas and the van sped away from the guymelef into the forest.

~***~ ~***~ ~***~

      Van Fanel snapped out of the temporary paralysis he was in. Looking around he spotted one of the castle servents.
      "Yeesho, come over here quick!" Van yelled. Yeesho , dressed in the typical Fanelian court page ensamble, came scurrying over.
      "Yes, Lord Van?" he asked.
      "Quickly, run to the stables and have them saddle a horse for me! The fastest one we have! I will meet you there shortly!"
      "Me too!" piped in Merle. "Make mine the second fastest!"
      "I am coming too!" said Allen.
      "Fine! Hurry Yeesho!" said Van urgently. Yeesho bowed to his Lord and ran off.

~***~ ~***~ ~***~

      Wyeroh Gabni, pilot of the guymelef, had panicked. He was on his first solo training patrol as a guymelef pilot. He and the rest of his company were having training sessions in the dense forest on the outskirts of Fanelia. He was a native born Fanelian and had been in Fanelia when Zaibach had attacked and destroyed his home. He had seen the mysterious column of light and the unusual guymelef appear out of it, coming straight at him. It triggered memories of that disastrous attack so many years ago and he had panicked.
      His cheeks were burning with shame and he was mentally berating himself for his loss of control. For all he knew he had just attacked a peaceful envoy from a far away kingdom that he wasn't familiar with and his actions could have severe consequences for himself and his country. He looked in the direction that the strange guymelef had left; it was already out of sight. He knew he could never catch up with it. He turned and started back to report his actions to his commanding officer, ready to face any punishment that he might receive.

~***~ ~***~ ~***~

      The group of lost people from the Mystic Moon was wandering the forest. They had abandoned the van, or, more precisely, it had abandoned them. Once safely away from the attacking metal monster the van gave a few coughs and sputters then the engine quit running. It didn't matter how many times Ken kept trying to restart it and pleading with it like a reluctant child; it was dead. They pushed it into some bushes and covered it up.
      Vannesa's head injury wasn't severe, but it did bleed a lot. Vannesa use to be an EMT back in the US so she knew what to do. After applying pressure to her cut and asking someone to check her pupils for dilation.
      "Minor concussion with a pressure laceration. Wonderful," Vannesa muttered to herself.
      "Ah well," she said out loud to the group. "Could have been worse. We could all be dead."
      "Are you in much pain, Vannesa?" asked Amano.
      "No, not really. I'll be alright," she said.
      Now they were aimlessly walking through the forest, not sure what to do next.

~***~ ~***~ ~***~

      "You did what?!?!" asked General Reb-viy.
      Wyeroh Gabni had just reported what had happened with the strange Guymelef and was inwordly cringing. His commanding officer was not in the best of moods. In fact, he was livid.
      Suddenly, one of the scouts shouted, "General Reb-viy, we have incoming riders from the direction of Fanelia! Looks like three of them! Looks like-General!! It's Lord Van!"
      The entire company of Fanelian soldiers lined up and was at ready when their king rode in with his companions.

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Read and review at your discretion. I do this for the love of writing and the series.