Another Vision of Escaflowne:
The Black Dragon's Revenge
by
Robert Downing
CHAPTER 1
FATEFUL REUNION
Hitomi Kanzaki sat on the steps overlooking the track field of her old high school as the full moon bathed everything in its pale glow. A large grey duffel with an ancient katana sticking out of it sat next to her on the steps. "Oh Van, I should have stayed with you," she moaned softly, remembering her first love…Van Fanel of Fanelia…a teenage king from another world. His face wafted through her mind like a phantom. A tear fell from her large blue eyes. "I miss you, Van. I want to see you again so much," she whimpered. "But I can't. I don't have the pendant. Without it, I can't reach Gaea. It's also been seven years since our link vanished and twelve years to the day since our first meeting." A deep, troubled sigh rose from her as she scanned the moonlit track field. A feeling of déjà vu crept into her mind, adding to her already troubled spirit. "Maybe if I meditate…" she mumbled as she crossed her legs in a yoga stance and laid her hands on her knees, closing her eyes. She began to breathe very slowly and deliberately as she concentrated on trying to settle her spirit and relieve the heartache she felt.
High wispy clouds drifted across the full moon as the wind gently stirred her hair. The coolness of the breeze penetrated her gray dojo uniform, chilling her slightly. For several minutes, she meditated. Suddenly, the déjà vu became even stronger as a strange song fell into her mind: one she had forgotten…the folksong of the Dragon Clan. Without realizing it, she began to hum the eerie tune as she mediated. Moments later, she felt something land in her lap. For what seemed to be an eternity, she debated fearfully whether to look. Finally, her courage rose and she opened her eyes, looking down. There in her lap lay a large white feather. A gasp escaped her lips as she slowly picked it up. "Van?" she called out. The feather suddenly evaporated into nothing as her heart dropped like a rock; for she knew, it was Van's feather. "Oh Van…" she moaned. "What happened to you? Have you moved on? Did you forget about me? I tried to forget but couldn't. Not even my martial arts and sword training could blot you out. But why now, Van? Why have I suddenly become so incredibly heartsick at seeing you again after years of being content?" Tears began to rise as she looked to the sky.
The roar of a dragon began to echo softly in her ears and in a moment, she found herself transported to a bloody, burning battlefield littered with the dead and the earth and moon hanging in the sky. The ground trembled as her eyes grew round and she began to cough on the fumes. Suddenly, the sound of steel crashing against steel came from behind her. She wheeled around and saw the mighty Escaflowne guymelff crash its sword through a black enemy guymelff that she didn't recognize. "That's not a Zaibach guymelff," she said in amazement as the enemy melff crashed to the ground. Moments later, she saw three more of the same types of guymelffs attack Escaflowne at once. "No!" she cried out, reaching out as one approached Escaflowne from the rear, poised to strike. She felt a strange sensation run down her spine as the enemy to the rear struck. A lightning bolt came out of the smoke filled sky and melted the armor to the ground as Escaflowne attacked the other two enemies. Only here did she realize that Escaflowne was different somehow and it was wielding two great swords…one in each fist. She heard Van's battle cry as he dispatched the two advancing enemies effortlessly: cleaving both in two horizontally simultaneously using a spinning dervish move. The attack was vicious and quick. As the last enemy crashed to the ground, Escaflowne turned to Hitomi and saluted, crossing the two swords as Van gasped, "Hitomi?" Then as quickly as it came, the vision melted away, leaving her on the steps of the track field.
"Oh no…not again," she moaned. "Why now?" Her heartache tripled as the smell of the burning battlefield still lingered in her nostrils.
With a very irritated hiss, she rose and walked down to the track, sprinting, trying to outrun her heartache. As she rounded the first turn, she saw tarot cards scattered across the track with three cards laying face up: the Tower, the Ace of Serpents, and the Death card. Upon seeing the cards, she stopped dead in her tracks. A cold chill ran down her spine. The cards beckoned to her as a soft breeze arose. "What are these doing here?" she asked. As her eyes fell on the cards, especially the Ace of Serpents, she remembered her first encounter with the young king of Fanelia twelve years ago. "Van…" she whispered, slowly squatting down to pick up the cards, mind drifting back to the incident.
She ran for the kiss. If she beat the 100 meter in thirteen swings of the pendant, she would get her first kiss from Amano. All her energy focused on the pendant as Amano stood swinging it, counting off the swings. As she approached, a loud crash rattled the track field as a pillar of white light descended between her an Amano, leaving a young, armor-clad warrior with a sword drawn in her path…the same warrior she saw in a vision just the day before. Appearing with no warning and just a few steps in front of her, she was powerless to stop and ran into him. He was a tree and didn't give as she bounced off him, falling to the ground. He stood there with shock and surprise on his face as he looked around at the strange surroundings. When Hitomi finally looked up at the young warrior, she gasped, "It's him…the one from my vision!" Moments later came the unearthly roar of the land dragon he was stalking and Hitomi drifted back to the present as she slowly reached for the Ace of Serpents. "Van," she whispered. "Why is Fate tempting me again?"
While reaching for the Ace of Serpents, she heard her name echoing softly on the wind. Her heart skipped a beat as she paused and looked around. "Van?" she called out. Only the wind answered her call. She looked back to the cards and recoiled as the image on the Ace of Serpents moved…becoming a white dragon with a warrior on its back that looked directly at her…a warrior that bore a remarkable resemblance to Van. Then the Tower card came to life with the tower crumbling before her eyes. Finally, the Reaper on the Death Card smiled at her as a spectral hand reached out at her. "Van!" she screamed, tripping over her own feet while trying to escape from the specter of Death. Suddenly, the white dragon and rider on the Ace of Serpents roared and attacked the advancing specter with dragon fire.
"RUN HITOMI, RUN!" Van's voice shouted from the card. Hitomi clambered to her feet in a full run, heading back to the stairs. She had just reached the top of them when she ran into Yukari and Amano.
"Hitomi, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," a concerned Yukari asked.
Hitomi looked back to where she had seen the battle between the Tarot cards, not answering as Amano asked, "Yea Hitomi…what's wrong? I haven't seen you this scared since high school."
"Something just happened a minute ago…something that hasn't happened since I came back from Gaea," Hitomi replied, voice trembling. "I had another vision of Escaflowne, and then I found some tarot cards over there on the track and…"
"HITOMI KANZAKI!" Van's voice boomed over the field.
"What was that?" Yukari asked as Hitomi rushed down the stairs.
"Van…Van! Where are you?" Hitomi shouted to the sky, her heart pounding so hard it drowned out everything else.
"Hitomi…wait!" Amano shouted, pursuing Hitomi to the base of the steps. "Are you all right, Hitomi?" he asked upon catching up with her.
Hitomi ignored him, calling to the sky, "Van…Van, where are you?"
"Hitomi…what's with you?" Yukari asked again. "You are acting so strange. I haven't seen you like this in twelve years."
Hitomi ignored them as she looked around, clenching her fist. Suddenly, she felt something in it. "Huh, what's this?" she asked. Upon opening her hand, she found her grandmother's pendant. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open.
"Isn't that your grandmother's pendant?" Amano asked. "I thought you said you gave it to that young king from Gaea?"
A smile slowly crossed Hitomi's face as she said, "I did, Amano. Twelve years ago after we defeated Dornkirk, I gave it to Van as a parting gift before he sent me back so he wouldn't forget me. There's only one reason for this pendant to suddenly appear like this…" Hitomi never finished her thought. A feeling of extreme peril suddenly fell on her as the Pillar of Light appeared on the track field in front of them.
First, the smell of burning ozone arose, followed by the crackling of electricity. Hair stood on end and nerves tingled as a loud boom followed, with the Pillar of Light appearing in front of them. A strange figure appeared in the light. Moments later, the light vanished, leaving an armored Van Fanel of Fanelia standing there, sword drawn, looking around intently. He saw Hitomi and a gasp escaped his lips.
"Van!" Hitomi cried in utter delight, rushing to him.
Van held up his hand, shouting, "Be still, Hitomi! A rogue dragon is coming." Hitomi stopped in her tracks as another massive bolt of electricity struck the first turn of the track with a thunderous roar. Reality wavered and dissolved into a fifty-foot shimmering aperture opened to a dense jungle. A strange odor of sulfur mixed with burning ozone drifted over the track field after the portal opened.
"Oh no…not again," Hitomi whined. Turning to Yukari and Amano, she shouted, "Run!"
A deep reptilian roar echoed from the portal. "It's here," Van growled. "RUN HITOMI, RUN!" As he spoke, a monstrosity lumbered out of the jungle onto the field…a land dragon sixty feet long with a dual tail and a bony crest of horns.
A growl rumbled forth as the dragon spied the trio. With a shriek, it charged them. "RUN!" Van shouted as he attacked the dragon. Hitomi, Yukari, and Amano fled up the stairs.
The sound of steel clashing on dragon scale and the rumble of fire-breath echoed over the grounds as they reached the school building. Hitomi stopped and looked back. "Hitomi…we have to hide!" Yukari insisted.
"Yukari is right…we need to hide!" Amano agreed.
Hitomi shook her head, saying, "Van needs me. I've got to help this time."
"Hitomi!" Yukari cried out as Hitomi rushed back to the track field, hanging her grandmother's pendant around her neck as she ran.
"Come on, Yukari. We have to help, too," Amano said. "Follow me." With that, they disappeared into the school.
Hitomi reached the top of the steps where her duffel lay in time to see Van dancing around the dragon, slicing at it with his sword as it snapped at him. "Damn! I just can't get through those scales, just like the last time!" Van growled as he retreated. It hissed at him, and then noticed Hitomi at the top of the stairs. As it stared at her, Van took advantage of the distraction and pulled a crossbow built into his armor. An arrow flew as the dragon roared, with the arrow striking home in the dragon's ear. The beast rolled with a shriek, writhing for a few moments until it found its feet. Its eyes narrowed to slits as a growl rumbled forth and saliva dripped from its maw. Suddenly, its head dropped as its tail snapped forward.
"Van…above you!" Hitomi shouted. In the blink of an eye, she reached down and pulled the ancient katana from her duffel. Like a cheetah springing into pursuit, she took off down the stairs toward the battle, sword in hand. Van looked up and dodged as the tail whip came down on him, cutting off his armor. However, before he could react, the dragon turned sideways and hit him from the side with the second tail, sending Van flying fifty feet. It roared and charged Van as Hitomi reached the field. "No…Van!" Hitomi cried, reaching out to him. Suddenly, both the pendant and katana glowed and resonated as the air shimmered around her for a moment. Then, giant shards of rock exploded beneath the dragon, rolling it onto its back, wounding it seriously. Hitomi's eyes opened wide and her mouth fell open as she skidded to a stop. "What the…" she gasped, looking at the sword, which now had glowing Atlantean glyphs on it from hilt to point. Her mind reeled as an instinct arose in her about the weapon and pendant. The dragon roared as it rolled back on its feet and charged her. Her attention tore away from the sword to the beast charging her. Fear petrified her as she stared at the charging beast bearing down on her. Suddenly, a javelin flew from behind her, striking the dragon in the eye.
"Hitomi…get back!" Amano shouted as he threw another javelin.
Yukari rushed in and grabbed Hitomi by the arm, pleading, "Come on, Hitomi! We have to get back!" Amano's second javelin pierced the dragon's soft underbelly as it rolled around from the first hit. A shriek rose from it as it rolled back onto its feet and let loose with its fire-breath. "HITOMI!" Yukari screamed as she pulled on Hitomi's left arm. Hitomi's eyes narrowed as her pendant and sword glowed, fear having suddenly dissipated with the wind. Her sword came up in a mid-level defensive posture. The air shimmered around the two girls and Yukari found herself inside an impenetrable shield with Hitomi, hiding behind her as the dragon fire swirled around them.
"YUKARI!" Amano shrieked as the fire overtook them, throwing another javelin. The javelin bounced off the bony crest of horns with no effect to the beast.
Van came to in time to see the dragon breathe on the two girls. "HITOMI!" he shrieked. His face steeled as he rose to his feet, sword in hand. "This ends NOW!" he shouted. He stepped forward and clenched his free fist. The air around him shimmered as his eyes glowed. Suddenly, the ground ripped open between him and the dragon. The magical energy hit the dragon, lifting it in the air. "My enemies DIE!" Van roared as the dragon exploded into a dozen gory chunks. After the intense magical assault, an exhausted Van collapsed to his knees.
Hitomi rushed to Van once the fire subsided. "Van…are you all right?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder as Amano and Yukari approached in a daze, confounded by what they had just witnessed. Amano had her duffel slung over his shoulder and a javelin still in hand, just in case.
"How did you do that, Hitomi?" Yukari asked, shaking from fright.
Hitomi raised her hand in a wait gesture when Van breathed heavily, "Yes, I'll be all right. Give me a moment."
"Van…what is going on?" Hitomi asked pointedly as she helped him up.
Van noticed the katana in her hand and his eyebrow rose in interest. A smile crept across his face as he looked her in the eye. She suddenly heard his voice echo in her mind, Nice blade. Let's talk about where you got it later. Hitomi's mouth fell open for a moment. When the shock of the telepathic contact wore off, she smile and nodded with a "Mm-hmmm." Van winked at her and walked to the carcass of the dragon.
"Hitomi!" Yukari protested as Hitomi looking at the strange, ancient katana because of Van's comment. The Atlantean glyphs had vanished from it.
"I…don't know, Yukari," she replied. "This is new. Nothing like this has happened before, not even the last time I went to Gaea. Something is going on and it is affecting both worlds. I can somehow feel it."
"You mean…the story you told us…is true?" Yukari asked. Hitomi looked her straight in the face and nodded. Yukari stared at her blankly, at a complete loss as Amano stood there puzzling over the whole event. Hitomi walked over to Van and asked, "Van…what's happening here?"
Van ignored her for a moment as he sliced open and pulled a glowing stone from the remains of the dragon's chest…the drag energist…the source of its life. The moment Van removed the energist, the dragon crumbled into dust and vanished. Only its footprints remained along with the damage it did to the area. After examining its pulsing crimson form for a moment, he said, "I don't rightly know. Something sinister is happening on Gaea and no one seems to know what's behind it. And it seems that whatever it is may be more dangerous than Zaibach. Whole towns have been razed to the ground and the people vanish without a trace. Only a handful of people have escaped and they say a ghost army destroyed their villages looking for information about the Seeress from the Mystic moon. This dragon is not like those in Fanelia or anywhere else on Gaea that I know of. But they are very dangerous and seem to be under some kind of control spell. Whatever it is, one thing is for certain, I'm sure the dragon was here for you, Hitomi."
"Me? Why me?" Hitomi gasped in surprise.
"Why Hitomi?" Yukari asked in unison with Hitomi.
"Yea, why Hitomi?" Amano agreed.
However, before Van could answer, the air began to hiss as everyone's nerves began to tingle. In the blink of an eye, the Pillar of Light appeared and Fate whisked everyone away to Gaea...a world under siege.