Okay, this is my first * and favorite* Escaflowne fic. Yes, I have more. OH THE HUMANITY!!!! yeah, yeah. Just read and review. ThatÕs all IÕm asking. And I donÕt own these wonderful people I put in my story. Sorry Van! I do own the mystical Lyla, though. So continue on and find out what happened after the best anime show ended...The Stolen AngelChapter One ~ Memories of Loveby Dragoneyes ¶_¶The Great War had not destroyed the secret world. The stars still hung in the sky and the Mystic Moon kept to its path, dancing across the heavens, and taunting Van, King of Fanelia.ÒShut the window, Lyla,Ó Van commanded from his throne, his hand upon his face.ÒTis a shame, the Mystic Moon is so bright and beautiful this night, my Lord,Ó Lyla said sweetly, staring at the beautiful spectrum in the sky.ÒI canÕt bear to look at it. Please shut the window.ÓLyla solemnly closed the shutters. The moonÕs light was smoked out instantly. Lyla replaced the darkness with a glowing lamp. The light flickered off the walls as she carried it towards Van, her sword he had given her swinging rhythmically at her hips. She had sworn to protect him with that sword, and sometimes it was hardly in its scabbard. Some of the counselors thought it wrong to have a woman protecting the King at all hours as his personal body guard. Others thought it was just what he needed.Van looked up at Lyla with his soft brown eyes. ÒHe has seen so much,Ó Lyla thought. Not so long ago a boy of fourteen ascended the throne of Fanelia and led its people in the Great War. And a fifteen year old man sat before her now. ÒYou need not remember your grief. Forget what has already forgotten you. Concentrate on the here and now. It is I that am right here, right now.ÓÒLeave me,Ó he said, looking away. She angrily left to her position outside the door. Van walked slowly to the window and reopened it. The wind ruffled his dark hair in the night. ÒWhere are you, Hitomi? Please, come back to me.Ó He fell to his knees and looked up at the Mystic Moon, but all was silent. Another sleepless night lay ahead.¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤Merle laughed merrily as she raced after the royal horses. Celena and Milerna led the party, racing as fast as their hearts could carry them, followed by a fussing Allen.ÒCelena, slow down! YouÕll fall off!Ó Allen yelled at the rebellious twins. ÒMilerna, youÕre not helping!ÓMilerna stopped her horse and turned to face the scowling Allen. ÒCome on, Allen. Walk on the wild side of life!Ó she laughed and then returned to the race.Van laughed as he caught up with Allen, followed by a solemn Lyla. ÒLook what walking on the wild-side cost Van, a burnt kingdom and a full time body-guard. Which the lovely Lyla has done an excellent job of,Ó Allen swooned. Lyla didnÕt even look at him. She continued riding along VanÕs side. ÒI would advise Your Highness not to follow the childrenÕs example,Ó Lyla said. ÒIf this is as wild as it gets, IÕll take it!Ó Van yelled as he chased after his friends.¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤The lake shimmered like glass in the evening sun. Lyla had made a camp for them while the girls waded in the cool water. Van lay back on the grass next to Allen, who was analyzing the four women.ÒCelena seems to be more like herself these days,Ó Allen sighed.ÒI can see a lot of her brother in her,Ó Van laughed.ÒItÕs nice to have her back. SheÕs a good sparring partner, since youÕve been so busy rebuilding Fanelia.ÓÒAh, dignitaries and schedules. I was born to live, not to die on a throne.ÓÒMaybe things would go easier if there was someone to be there with you,Ó Allen suggested. ÒMerle and LylaÕs helped.Ó Van defended himself.ÒThe Mystic Moon was bright last night, wasnÕt it?ÓÒHuh?Ó Van exclaimed, caught off-guard. ÒOh. Yeah, I guess.ÓÒYou didnÕt sleep at all last night did you?Ó Lyla glared at Allen for this.ÒYou, my friend, know me too well.ÓÒMaybe. And maybe I was watching you the entire night. You miss her donÕt you?ÓÒI really donÕt want to talk about it.ÓÒHave you ever thought about going back after her.ÓÒNo. That would be selfish. SheÕs where sheÕs suppose to be. And IÕm... IÕm where IÕm suppose to be.Ó He couldnÕt deny it, though. His voice sounded regretful, even to him.ÒThat seems hard to believe if you two are suppose to be together.ÓVan looked at his friend long and hard. Allen just watched the girls splashing around. Maybe Allen knew something Van didnÕt. As the night stretched on, Van was left behind, trying to find even some impression of sleep. And when he finally found peace in a light slumber, that too was shattered with a horrorfying dream. Fanelia was burning again. The smoke swirled in the sky ahead. But it was burning from the inside out. Someone in the palace had started it. He was in his room, and the door burst open, the fire outside silhouetting the figure. Then they held up a crossbow and fired at his heart. As he looked down at the arrow embedded in his heart, he found that the arrow was silver. HitomiÕs reflection shimmered in it, but soon it was covered by his blood dripping on it...Van awoke from the torment of sleep in a cold sweat, clutching the pendant around his neck. ÒYour Highness!Ó Lyla exclaimed softly. ÒAnother dream?ÓÒYes.ÓÒWas the witch in this one as well?ÓÒYes, but I have asked you several times not to refer to her as that.ÓÒBut she is a witch to cause you such suffering. She is the one causing you to stay awake at night. She is the one who is afflicting this torments upon you.ÒGet rid of her pendant. Throw it into the lake. She will never bother you again. And then open your eyes to those around you who care for you. Like me. I could be more than a servant. I am willing...ÓÒPlease, Lyla. Take your horse and ride back to the castle. Tell them we will return a day earlier than expected.ÓLyla frowned at this request, but hopped onto her horse non the less. ÒThat pendant is the only thing left. In getting rid of it, you get rid of her, thus ridding yourself of your grief. Do it for yourself. Do it for Fanelia!Ó Then she rode off, but not before seeing Van hurl the pendant across the waters. Smiling, she departed.¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤Van looked upon the waters shimmering in the light of the Mystic Moon. It no longer tormented him. But there was something missing, and that hurt twice as much. What did he think he was doing?! He was giving up Hitomi! everything about her. Her smile, her innocence, her understanding eyes, her cheerful personality, her love. All of it he had thrown away, discarded, rejected. All if it. All of her, whom he remembered, whom he LOVED! WHOM HE STILL LOVED!ÒHITOMI!Ó Van yelled as he dove into the waters, trying to follow the pendant. He surfaced for air, then dove, looking for it. Surfaced, dove, surfaced, dove. He couldnÕt find it. He had lost it! ÒPlease! Help me find it!Ó he yelled at the Mystic Moon. He dove again. Then he noticed a small ray of light glimmering through the murky waters, gliding down to a portion of sand on the bottom. He followed the line of white light, and right in the middle of light was the pendant. But the light was slightly fading, and he was running out of air again. If he surface for air, to relieve the pain in his chest, he would loose the pendant. If he went for the pendant trying to relieve the guilt in his heart, he might drown. ÒIÕm not going to give her up again!Ó he thought as he reached for the pendant. He grasped it, and surfaced.He held his trophy high in the sky above him, grasping for the sweet sent of air. As he swam towards shore, he noticed that Allen and the girls were awake.ÒVan! Did you see it?!Ó Allen exclaimed, helping Van out of the lake.ÒSee what?ÓÒRight as you came up out of the lake, the column of light returned,Ó Milerna exclaimed, just as excited as Allen.ÒWhere?Ó Van managed, still reclaiming his breath.ÒOn the other side of the lake!Ó she exclaimed. She had hardly said this when Van had dove into the lake again and swam for the other shore. Merle wasnÕt far behind. ÒOver to the left. ThatÕs where it came from!Ó Merle directed, shaking her wet fur. Van ran as fast as he could in the direction he was directed. Could it be? Could she be returning? Had his willingness to sacrifice his life for her last memory have brought her back? His heart ran twice as fast as he did. Time passed, and he couldnÕt find her. He ended in a clearing in the forest, not far from the shore. Soon Merle, Allen, Milerna, and Celena were standing behind him, still wet from the swim and breathing heavily from the run. ÒWhere is she? She should be here!Ó Allen exclaimed. ÒHitomi!Ó Everyone started calling out her name... except Van. He just stood there. ÒSheÕs not there.ÓÒWhat do you mean?ÓÒYou must have just thought you saw the column. It must have been your imaginations. Shame on you for bringing my hopes up!ÓÒYOUR hopes?! DonÕt you think that everyone of us wishes that she were here as well?! And that column wasnÕt our imagination! It was so bright it woke us up! ALL of us!Ó Allen yelled at Van. All were quiet for a while. A stream of hatred seemed to string itself between Van and Allen. Like some long dead resentful spite being reborn. But then all was forgotten when a familiar voice called out a warning from somewhere high in the trees.ÒIn front of you!Ó Van and Allen drew their swords, and, as if in answer to their challenge, forty men dressed in black armor came running out of the forest. The two men engulfed themselves in the fight. ÒFind somewhere safe to hide! And stay there!Ó Allen yelled at the girls. Merle started climbing up a tree. Milerna and Celena ran backwards back the way they came. They soon found a large hollowed oak tree laying off the path. They were both able to crawl in and cover the hole with loose moss before some of the men passed by. Allen and Van were surrounded by ten of the soldiers. The other ten had gone after the ladies, and Allen prayed that they had found a good place to hide. They had been fighting back to back, to reduce the risk of a backstabbing assassination. But now they were completely surrounded without any chance that they could actually survive.ÒThereÕs too many of them!Ó Van observed.ÒWell, friend, itÕs been interesting,Ó Allen said.ÒItÕs not over yet,Ó Van exclaimed, ready to start fighting again, even against the odds.Suddenly a cloaked figure jumped down from the trees. The soldiers had stopped snarling at the two and turned their attention towards the figure. ÒWhere did he come from?Ó Allen asked. Van couldnÕt answer. Something seemed vaguely familiar about him. Something about how he ran, causing half of the soldiers to follow him. Giving them even odds. As Van and Allen continued to fight, VanÕs thoughts kept going back to the mysterious figure. He just couldnÕt seem to keep focused...A hidden blow was just about to cut off his head when AllenÕs sword appeared, protecting Van.ÒGo check on the girls. Make sure theyÕre okay. IÕll keep it here.Ó Allen instructed. As much as Van wanted to argue who was the higher authority, he did as he was told. Milerna and CelenaÕs hiding place had been found and they were cornered against a tree. Van intervened and soon had all the men down. ÒWhereÕs Allen?Ó Celena asked, almost hysterical.ÒHeÕs back in the clearing. LetÕs go.Ó¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤Merle couldnÕt believe she couldnÕt run fast enough to loose these morons. Five of them had come after her. And climbing trees hadnÕt helped once she found that they had crossbows. Arrows were not her best friend! She kept jumping from tree to tree, dodging rocketing arrows. But the trees were getting younger, and the branches smaller and weaker. But she had to continue. She grabbed for a branch, but it was too weak. It broke from under her, causing her to fall helplessly to the ground. Her head spun, but she could just barely make out five black figures looming over her. She stood up slowly and found herself surrounded, swords and crossbows pointed at her. She closed her eyes, ready to receive the pain of death. ÒHEY!Ó a voice called out from behind one of the soldiers. The cloaked figure punched him in the head, knocking him unconscious. He kicked another in the chest, knocking him back into two others. ÒRun!Ó he commanded to Merle, who wasted no time in following directions. Merle ran right into Van. ÒMerle! What happened!ÓÒSomeone in a cloak saved me!Ó Merle panted. ÒWhere?!Ó Van exclaimed. Merle pointed to the darkness behind her. Van wasted no time in following. He found him surrounded by four soldiers, all posing to kill. Van charged in, killing two, and disabling the others. He looked up at the figure. Their eyes and nose were shadowed by the cloak, and Van could not make out who it was. But he knew that they were smiling at him. But suddenly their expression changed, and they yelled out a warning to him. He turned around and found the fifth soldier lunging at his throat. He had no time to react! But another sword passed between him and his assassin. He looked to see Allen, but Lyla stood next to him, protecting his life. With one swift stroke, she disposed of him. Van looked back to find the cloaked figure still standing there. Lyla turned, also, and pointed her sword at the figure. ÒReveal yourself, peasant!Ó she demanded. Van stood in front of the figure, protecting them. Lyla immediately dropped her sword. ÒDonÕt hurt them. They helped save our lives!Ó He turned around to greet them, but saw that they had disappeared, nowhere to be found.Van returned reluctantly to find Allen and the girls. ÒVan! They got away. We didnÕt get any for questioning.Ó Allen panted, wiping the sweat off his brow, hugging a relieved Celena. Merle was likewise hugging Van.ÒThatÕs okay. WeÕd better go, they might come back, although I doubt it.Ó¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤As they rode their horses back to the castle, they were in an unlikely state. Merle was riding with Van, too tired from the night to run. He led the party with Allen by his side, Milerna and Celena close behind, and Lyla protecting them from the rear.ÒWho do you think it was?Ó Milerna questioned.ÒThey didnÕt look like remnants of Zaibach.Ó Allen said.ÒThey must be some new enemy,Ó Celena stated. ÒMaybe. Did you girls see the cloaked figure?Ó Van asked.ÒYou mean that weird person who shot two of the soldiers with a bow and arrow?Ó Celena inquired.ÒDid they kill them?ÓÒNo. They had a good shot, but they just chose to shoot them in the arm. Did you see him, too?ÓÒYeah, he took some guards away from our group, helping Allen and me.ÓÒAnd then he saved me,Ó Merle put her two-cents worth in.ÒDid he seem familiar to anyone else?Ó Van asked. Silence followed his awkward question.ÒNo... Why do you ask?Ó Milerna inquired.ÒNo reason. ItÕs just... We owe our lives to them, whoever they are.Ó¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤They had rode their horses full speed through the city, making their way to the castle. Men and woman looked after them in wonder. ÒHis Majesty has never rode in like that before,Ó a man stated, holding his young daughter close. ÒSomething must have happened!ÓRumors spread like wild fire and even before the party had their horses in the stable and were inside the castle, talk was flying about an attack. As Van burst through the council room, his advisors came running up to him in worry.ÒWe heard that there was an attack!Ó Sir Rubert exclaimed. ÒWhere was it?ÓÒIn the forest on the south side of the Crystal Lake. Twenty men wearing helmets as such,Ó Van stated, holding up one of the helmets he had confiscated. ÒI think it was an assasination attempt.ÓÒUpon you, Your Highness?Ó Rubert questioned.ÒIÕm not sure. It could have been upon me, Princess Milerna, even Allen has his enemies.ÓÒWhat about the entire group?Ó Lyla suggested.ÒWhat do you mean?ÓÒAll five of you are heros of the Great War. Perhaps an old alley of Zaibach wanted all of you dead.ÓÒIt could be. But anyways, this is the first attack since the Great War. We have kept peace for two years and I will not have it shattered so soon. I want guards doubled around the gates of the city. Every convoy leaving the city must have some reason of defense, or else they will not be permitted to leave.Ó Van ordered as he made his way to the throne. His advisors hustled to follow him while writing everything down. Van turned to Allen and Milerna. ÒI know you have business in Asturia, but IÕm going to have to ask all of you to stay an extra week or so until we have this cleared up.ÓÒThat will be fine. Just as long as word can be sent to my Father and sister.Ó Milerna stated.Van nodded in agreement. ¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤°¤After everyone had gone to their chambers to sleep off the shock of the attack, Van had summoned Lyla to his library.ÒWhat is it, Your Majesty?ÓÒBack in the forest, why did you attack the disguised figure?ÓÒSire, I found you between two strangers, one posing to kill you. As far as I knew the other one had the same intent. My life is but to protect you, and that is what I thought I was doing.ÓÒThatÕs all right then.ÓÒSire...ÓÒWhat is it?ÓÒYou act as though you know that stranger.ÓÒMaybe, or maybe IÕm just being a sentimental fool with too much hope.Ó A moment of awkward silence followed. ÒYou may return to your post.Ó Van started fiddling with the pendant, and he didnÕt see LylaÕs look of astonished outrage before she left the roomVan went back to gazing at the sky, thinking of how a column light had come to Gaea again, and was then followed by a mysterious figure. Something was definitely going on...To be continued.Well, thereÕs my first chapter. DonÕt flame me if the stupid computer doesnÕt upload it COMPLETELY write. But do review!