Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne.

Memories Long Forgotten

The Beginning

Once she was sure that the house had completely fallen she looked up and wiped away her tears. She then began to dig her way through the rubble. She had to be careful with the sharp objects she encountered on the way but it didn't stop her from getting cuts all over her hands. She ignored them though; she had to get out of what was once her home. Once she broke the surface of the rubble she took in a sharp breath of air. Not only was her home destroyed but everything else around her. Her entire village was nothing more than ashes and dust. Tears flowed down from her eyes once again to her now dirt covered face as she pulled herself from the wreckage. She stood upon what was once her home and could do nothing but cry. It wasn't until a few moments that she then noticed a dark figure walking towards her. She immediately backed away and was about to run however she stopped when he heard his voice.

"You don't have to be afraid of me child I won't hurt you." The man said. The girl looked up at him.

"Who are you?" The child asked as she choked out more tears. The man looked empathic upon her and walked up to her.

"I am Folken. Here child dry your tears" Folken replied as he handed her a white cloth. The youth reluctantly took from Folken's hand and began to rub her eyes with them. She looked up at him.

"Thank you." She answered.

"What is your name child?" Folken then asked as he took in his surroundings.

"Hitomi." The girl answered as she offered to give back his handkerchief. However Folken shook his head and the child understood why. Her eyes were beginning to spill tears again. She couldn't hold it in and began to rub her eyes again as she sobbed. Folken kneeled down and hugged the child. He allowed her to cry into his arms as long as she could cry.

"Why is it you cry child?" Folken asked gently as he rubbed her head. Hitomi hiccupped and then answered.

"Because my home (sob) my family and (hic) all my friends are (hic) gone." The young girl said as she continued to cry again.

"I'm sorry for your loss dear child." Folken whispered to Hitomi. She only cried some more. Folken then lifted up the girl in his arms. She looked at him with wide eyes wondering what he was doing. "Come." He said. "I'll take you to my home. I will not leave you by yourself at this state." Folken said as he carried the girl off somewhere. Hitomi could only cry some more both for mourning and for thankfulness of this stranger's kindness.

"Thank (hic) you." The girl said as she rubbed her eyes. Folken nodded.

"It's the least I'm able to do after what you've been through." Folken said as they disappeared in the darkness of the forest. The child cried herself to sleep in the man's arms. She was not awake when Folken brought her up on the Vione.

(13 years later)

A woman of the age of twenty stood barefoot in front of her window of a darken room. Seemingly content at staring at the small garden that glowed in the bright world outside. The woman was dressed in black breeches and a golden yellow sleeveless shirt that had a v neckline and was tied up in the front. Tussles of brown hair touched the middle of her spine and it seemed as though it was being used as a curtain for her face as she looked through her window.

"It seems very… odd." She solemnly whispered.

She was right in her opinion. In this dark country it was rather odd to see green grass and beautiful flowers, but here was this bright and cheerful small place. Though she held an uncaring posture and aura about the situation.

"Why should it matter in the first place? This world has been living on false happiness for ages." She whispered to herself. Closing her eyes she pushed her window open, being careful not to hurt the glass, it was a pain replacing it not to mention that glass didn't exactly come as an accessory that everyone had. It was rather expensive. There was the feeling of the world's gentle touch billowing in the room. Though the woman face was looking intently at the garden and her hair was being wind blown it was still hard to see her face. Looking up in the sky Gaea's two moons hung closely together though they were hard to see in the daytime but from this view it was rather easy to spot them. There was a knock on her door, the woman pulled her attention from the outside view and looked at the door; her curtain of hair was pushed away from her face. Her features were what some might consider beautiful however it might have shown more if she didn't look as if her emotions had been sucked dry from her, though what couldn't be denied of their beauty were her yellow hawk like eyes though they seemed some what inhuman.

"Well all good things must come to an end." Though the way her voice sounded as though she didn't enjoy anything good. She pulled her window closed and walked across the darken room to open the door. It was a messenger.

"Yes. What is it?" She barked at the messenger before her.

"Forgive me for interrupting you Lady Iris, but we have word from Lord Dornkirk that Folken Strategos will be returning to Zaibach." The messenger bowed before her. The woman, Lady Iris, nodded.

"Is that all?" She questioned.

"No, milady, there's more." The messenger answered in a drone like voice.

"Well what else do you have to tell me?" Iris questioned the messenger.

"Lord Folken is bringing Lord Dilandau, and Lady Selisa. They'll be of course joined by their troop of warriors that they command." The messenger said looking at Iris.

"When will they be arriving?"

"At dawn, Lady Iris." The messenger replied. The woman took a quick glance at her window; it wasn't anywhere close to nightfall.

"Well then." Iris spoke as she looked at the messenger. "Tell the Sylph Hunters to get ready to greet our guests at dawn." She ordered.

"Of course, Lady Iris." The messenger bowed then left to send his message. Iris closed the door and walked about midway of the room. Reaching up she touched her dog tags that were placed around her neck. She was a soldier, well correction on that, a captain in the Zaibach Empire. She commanded the group called Sylph Hunters like the other two that were to arrive tomorrow. The other two captains had been stationed at different bases of Zaibach. The one that was known as Lord Dilandau held command over soldiers known as the Dragon Slayers; it had been known that these soldiers were new recruits for Dilandau considering that all of his original soldiers had been massacred during the Great War. Dilandau was a veteran soldier because he held age over them by two years. Both Iris and Lady Selisa had been kept out of the war since they were still in training and could never help the Empire until now. Lady Selisa commanded a group known as the Magi Assassins.

Iris smirked while thinking about all this information.

"Tomorrow we shall see each other again."

(Dawn)

The sun was barely rising and Iris accompanied by the Sylph Hunters stood outside in the landing area where they were to greet their guests. Lady Iris was dressed in golden yellow armor with a tiara adorning her face and her hair pulled tightly in a low ponytail. The Sylph Hunters weren't dressed in the same golden yellow armor as Iris was, they were dressed in green armors and they did not have a tiara. It was nearly an hour before they caught sight of the floating fortress known as the Vione in the sky. Though when they did Iris looked at her the Sylph Hunters, she was giving them a warning not to disgrace her in anyway; or else it might be their last mistake ever. When the Vione landed the Sylph Hunters all fell on their knees and bowed as Iris continue to stand despite the gust of wind the Vione had left as an after math. Three figures emerge out of the Vione and stepped onto the landing area.

One of them was a light skinned young woman seemingly around Iris's age dressed in purple armor and a familiar circlet around her forehead. The woman's hair was a brilliant golden color, which rippled in waves, and though it was pulled back it was easy to that it was shorter compared to Iris's. She of course was the Lady Selisa.

Another was a young man that a bit taller than Lady Selisa however much paler than her dressed in blood red armor and also a similar circlet. His silver hair glistened in the sun and it was easy to tell from far away that he had some past 'issues' within him, he was the Lord Dilandau.

The last figure that stood out from the both of them had much more height compared to both Selisa and Dilandau, a solemn man with pale blue hair and a cloak wrapped around his body, the Lord Folken Strategos.

Iris recognized them without question, though they were still some distance away so they could be some things that her hawk like eyes missed. She stood there and looked at them until there were about five feet away when she fell into a humble bow. Folken looked and nodded at her.

"You may stand." He said, his voice was tuned in a drone and somewhat robotic like voice.

Iris stood up and looked at both him and the two captains right behind him. Now that they were closer it was easy to see their features much clearly.

Dilandau's eyes was much like both his armor and the jewel that had been imbedded in his golden circlet, he had his fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword as though he had been born with it, and his expression was both sinister and mourning. Of course what was most noticeable was the long scar that ran down his cheek. Dilandau gave an animal like growl when he noticed Iris's eyes were on his most 'horrible' wound. She then diverted her attention to Selisa.

Selisa's face seemed what could be described as angelic like, though her eyes and expression and her posture said something completely different all together. Her eyes were a mystic purple, which, like Dilandau, matched her armor, and the jewel encrusted in her bronze circlet.

She questioned herself as to why their uniforms matched their armors and the jewel in the within their tiaras. Iris had a feeling they were asking themselves the same question when she noticed their eyes were directing themselves at her armor and her silver circlet.

"Lady Selisa, Lord Dilandau." Iris called their names and gave them both a respectful salute, bows were only for those of a higher rank there was no need at all to humble yourself to your own class and if you did you would be thought of as weak. They both called her name and saluted as well. After this Folken called Iris's attention.

"Iris, I along with Dilandau and Selisa must speak with you." The woman looked at Folken after he had addressed her by her given name. He didn't have to address her with any titles considering that he was their superior.

"Yes of course Lord Folken." Then she led her superior and the other two captains to the war room. Important matters were discussed here and it was a suitable place to make sure that no one would be able to listen in on them. Of course Iris first had to lead them from the landing area and into the maze of the base before they were able to reach the war room. When everyone was seated Folken cleared his throat and began the discussion.

"Iris, I've come here under orders of Lord Dornkirk that you along with Dilandau and Selisa will be preparing yourselves for the war." Iris listened carefully and nodded at his words. There was a war that started seven years ago but soon the war had grown quiet with no word of any winner, however it was now time to declare it. Her hands, which she had placed into a laced lock with each other on the table suddenly, tightened; there was something odd boiling within her. Perhaps it was excitement however her brain could not register the feeling. She was finally going to be in the war and help the Zaibach Empire after being in its shelter for nearly all her life. She wasn't listening to Folken words on the reason for the war and what must be achieve in it. She was plainly thinking about it, period. She really didn't care about anything else. However she should have in the least looked as though she was paying attention.

"Iris." Folken said calling her attention from her thoughts. "Am I boring you with my words?" Folken asked. Oddly he was able to make it sound that he was upset with her without losing his robotic like tone.

"No, sir I was simply lost in my own thoughts however I was listening to your words." Iris coolly explained. No emotion showed in her face despite what may have seemed like an embarrassing situation. Folken eyed her for a bit.

"Iris, I must tell you that this will decide the future of Zaibach itself, we need you three to be at your best if you are to aid us." He then stood up.

"That's all there is to say as of now, I thought that I might discuss some other things with you however perhaps it could wait until tomorrow. Now if you'll excuse me, Lord Dornkirk had asked me to meet him after I had a word with you all together." With that their superior left the room. Iris kept Folken words in mind and found her eyes wondering around. They soon landed on Dilandau's face. She focused on Dilandau, she was holding a somewhat upset feeling against him considered that he was able to keep his true name and was unaltered. Dilandau was born in Zaibach, but both she and Selisa weren't. She and Selisa were given these names when they had entered Zaibach at the age of seven; their true names, pasts and perhaps some parts of their human traits were long forgotten. Though it wasn't as though they were to die without much of a past, humans can survive without knowing who or what they are, so that was simply what they did. At one point they could actually remember a vague idea of who they were, however now everything they could remember was Zaibach. Iris then bashed these thoughts away from her mind. She was the Lady Iris of Zaibach and that was all that mattered now, not something that she would never know.

"Shouldn't we start training now?" Dilandau spoke irritably. Iris looked at him and nodded.

"Of course, we should start. Allow me to show you the way to the training court." Iris said as she stood up they all followed suit and allowed Iris to show them to the training court. Iris's eyes began to wonder once again. Boredom seemed to attack very easily. Her eyes landed on Selisa's shadow that had been angled in front of her because of the lights. Selisa was probably the only one who understood her after all she also had to drink that disgusting crap that was given to them by the sorcerers. It was that very drink that made forget who their families were and what their names were and altered them. When they arrived at the training court all of them drew their swords.

"What you say we fight each other all at once?" Selisa suggested in a voice that really didn't suit her angelic face. Dilandau nodded.

"It might actually be interesting." Iris had to agree with the two.

Before anyone said anything else all of them started circling around each other. After all these years they would finally see who was superior. Dilandau had his sword drawn out daring any one of them to attack. Selisa had a very odd smirk on her face though she didn't have her sword drawn out like Dilandau; she only had her hand on its hilt and kept a watch over them. Iris on the other hand didn't even touch her sword; she wasn't even looking at any of them, though she seemed to know where they were going. Then thinking at who to attack first, Selisa, with out warning, attacked Iris with a swift downslash. Iris, despite what little time she had, drew her sword and blocked the attack with some effort. Selisa looked at Iris and smirked.

"Very interesting." Selisa said as she pressed harder against the sword.

"I bet." Iris said as though this was all routine to her. Selisa then winked at her. Iris ignored it. Selisa was the master of deceit and distractions. She was able to make men's knees weak and, strangely, make women blush however it didn't work on Iris. They were still locked together within the block when Dilandau charged at them. Iris saw him coming, so she hardened her legs and pushed Selisa off. She spun around and blocked Dilandau's diagonal downslash with ease, however she didn't predict his strength, the power of his strike was making her lean backwards. Dilandau grinned at the effect of his power on Iris. Of course Selisa wasn't though yet. Selisa swiftly charged at Dilandau with a diagonal upslash. Dilandau heard her coming though didn't have very much time to act but since he had the upper hand on Iris he pulled himself away from her. He then dodged Selisa's attack and he gave her a fury of strikes of course he didn't imagine that she would not only dodge some but also give him her own fury of strikes. Dilandau had a very confused look on his own face that fury of strikes that she gave him was nearly similar to his. Selisa noticed his look.

"I know what you're thinking." She teased.

"Oh yeah!" Dilandau yelled irritated. "Are you a mind reader?" He questioned.

"Nope." She said as she gave him another strike. "But I know that you're thinking. 'How the hell could she copy my move?' eh." By the look that Dilandau then gave her she knew she was right.

"There's no way you could have copied my attack!" Dilandau bellowed. Selisa smiled.

"Actually, I can and I did, of course there was a major difference. Wanna know what it is? Well I'll tell you anyway, mine had more zest to it." She said happily. This of course made Dilandau angry. Of course they completely forgot about Iris, that was before she suddenly charged them with such speed.

All three of them some how were locked in positions, each one of their blades pressed against the other. Selisa looked at Iris.

"And I thought you were just going to stand back and watch the fight." She said teasingly.

"You love to talk, don't you?" Iris said ignoring her comment.

"Gotta do something when you're bored." Selisa said lightly. Iris looked at her. Then Iris dropped down and kicked Selisa's legs from under her.

"How's that boring for you?" Iris said before she attacked Dilandau. Of course Dilandau thought that this was merely going to be a repeat of what happened last time however it wasn't, Iris knew better. Iris raised her sword to strike him, however he blocked, something Iris knew would happen. Before he knew what was happening she flipped over him. She was about to point the tip of her blade to his neck and claim victory however he then spun around and blocked.

"I'm not so easily defeated." Dilandau said with a triumphal smirk.

"Hey don't you forget about me!" Selisa yelled before she jumped in. And the battle continued. Selisa attacked Iris, Iris attacked Dilandau, then Selisa attacked Dilandau, Iris attacked Selisa, Dilandau attacked Iris, Selisa attacked Iris, and then Dilandau attacked Selisa. None of them would give in. Then once more they were locked in each other's blades but they escaped the lock. Each one of them stood a good distance from each other and all of them were breathing heavily with sweat dripping strongly from their pores making them glisten in the light.

"I believe that's enough." The three captains turned to the voice to find Folken. "It's quite obvious that all of you are equally matched although each of you possesses a quality that's better than the other." At the sight of Folken the captains sheathed their swords in unison.

"If you don't mind me asking, Folken, what are these qualities?" Dilandau asked as his arms crossed his chest. Folken looked at the dragonslayer captain.

"Well Dilandau, first off you are stronger against the other captains which give you the usual male advantage against them and there's also the fact that you have more experience in real battle than them as well." Dilandau had a smirk plastered on his face after he said that, but Folken wasn't quite finished though. "Though you might wish to do something about those senseless strikes they waste far too much energy." Dilandau wasn't very happy about that. Selisa noticed.

"What a burn." She whispered with a small smirk. Folken then looked at Iris. "Iris, you are swift and faster then both Dilandau and Selisa allowing you to be able to dodge and block attacks and giving some of your own. Unfortunately your blocks and attacks are not as strong as Dilandau's but it still gives you very surprising advantage." Iris nodded. Then Folken turned to Selisa. "And you Selisa, your knowledge and flexibility are much greater then the others put together. Although you are not as quick as Iris, your quality allows you to pull off very difficult moves, techniques and you know how to get access to places that would quickly bring them down, though temporary, which gives you an advantage against both Iris and Dilandau." Selisa smiled. Dilandau's face was so red it could rival a tomato.

"She's more of a witch." Dilandau growled. Folken looked at him.

"Do you feel sore because someone younger than you was able to imitate your own attack?" Folken asked coolly. Surprisingly, when you thought it couldn't, Dilandau's face got even redder. "Calm down Dilandau, she wasn't able to fully imitate it. She may be talented but she is not as gifted as you are in strength. The only reason you believed she was, is simply because she was trying to push your buttons and she was successful. You really should control your temper it did not at all aid us in the last battle." Folken then looked at all three captains. " Now the reason I came here is because Lord Dornkirk has given all of you orders already…" Even though they remained a cool demeanor it was quite obvious of the emotion that swirled in their eyes. "We are to attack a country that is quite far from here, which one however the information has yet to be given. Though despite that Lord Dornkirk would like you to prepare immediately for it" Folken announced. Folken then turned around and was about to leave when Iris suddenly spoken.

"Sir, excuse me for asking however I must know when the mission will be executed." Folken turned around and faced Iris.

"That information has yet to be given. Be patient, it will come soon." Folken quickly said. The three captains nodded in unison. Folken then left and Iris looked at him with blank eyes, and then turned around to her fellow captains.

"If you like I'll show you your quarters." The Magi Assassins captain nodded as well as the DragonSlayers captain. Selisa then said.

"Tomorrow we'll tell our men of mission, Iris." Iris nodded at Selisa's suggestion then led the two captains to their quarters. Once they were settled in she told them.

"I'll have a servant come to get you for dinner." Then she left to her own quarters. She was left to her own thoughts. Some how they always seem to land on Folken. She always knew Folken was hiding something from her besides her past. He took something from her before she was forced to drink that awful poison liquid the sorcerers forced down her throat. She didn't know what it was but she was sure it was something of her past. But her loyalty was now with Zaibach, she wouldn't betray them. It's not like she had anywhere to go, or anyone to go to. She then awoke herself from her trance as she neared her chambers. She shouldn't be thinking about these things at all. She then entered her room and walked over to her dresser and pulled one of the drawers and searched though the clothes for something. When she found it she raised in the air for the sun to see the wooden instrument. She discovered it one day when she was eight years old a year after she joined Zaibach. It had intrigued her and she sneaked it back into Zaibach so that she would be able to keep it forever. The wooden instrument had been painted a forest green color with small pink and yellow flowers on a light green vine decorating itself around the finger holes. She brought the mouthpiece to her lips and played a tune she had made on her own while she had rest. She didn't worry of anyone hearing her, no one cared and the walls were sound proof. The tune, though beautiful, didn't seem to have any emotion at all, just like Iris.

(A/n)

Hello. Some people might now even read but it's probably better if I just type this anyway. For those you who have read this before I'm fixing it and trying to do something different whether you like it or not might not change the decision. And just in case I gave you the wrong impression Selisa and Iris are not sisters. Much appreciated well gotta blaze.

Sereneblaze