Hello Readers,
I have been a huge fan of Escaflowne for several years (8 actually) but have never been bold enough to write fiction until recently. I hope you enjoy my first real attempt at Esca fiction, but as it is my first, any advice, ideas, and comments would be much appreciated.
Before you read, there are some key points you must know to avoid confusion!
1.) This story takes place several hundred years after the war on Gaea. Hitomi, Van, and the others have long since passed. However, they have been reincarnated.
2.) The characters that have been reincarnated look relatively unchanged despite a few small differences such as hair length etc.
3.) The characters have different names because they were reborn in another time to new parents, but don't worry, this will change eventually in the story line
4.) And finally, please take into consideration that all of the characters are at a slightly older age than in the series. Most will be young adults in this story.
I do not own Escaflowne.
Bound Through Eternity
By Reeseidian
Five hundred years after the epic war on Gaea, the Mystic Moon went through many changes. As technology began to prosper, humanity lost respect for their glorious planet. A once beautiful orb covered by endless oceans, tall mountains and rich forest had become a desolate wasteland. War and famine eliminated nearly three quarters of the human race and almost all animal and plant life. The sky, which was once a lovely azure slowly drowned by a cover of thick smog, blocking the sun and causing a hazy darkness. Water recourses dwindled to unimaginable levels, and food become scarce. The people who remained had either attempted to escape or given up completely; awaiting their death while the earth descended into oblivion.
As the earth approached its final years, an eighteen year old girl with honey blonde hair that fell past her shoulders and emerald green struggled to survive with her family in the deep forests of Japan. Before the war, Seraphine was a typical teenage girl living in the outskirts of Tokyo. When she wasn't in school or studying at home, she enjoyed partaking in her school track team. She was quite a good runner and had the drive to eventually become a star sprinter at a university level, although she could never explain where her athletic abilities came from. Her parents had always been somewhat placid and didn't share in sport. Her younger brother would have rather played video games than go out for fresh air and exercise. But then again, Seraphine had always been different. Sometimes she felt like the family outcast, not fully fitting in, yet still bound by blood. Her passionate and sometimes fiery nature didn't align with her family's quiet and simplistic lifestyle. However, Seraphine's burning spirit was exactly what her family loved so much about her.
But gone were the days of ignorant bliss. Years of happiness had long since past, and a new age of death and destruction invaded Seraphine's life. The summer before she entered her eleventh year of high school, armies from the west invaded Japan and the surrounding countries. The fifth world war which started in the United States had migrated east and obliterated everything in its wake. Weapons were used to destroy every major city on earth, forcing families to seek refuge in the deep countryside. However, every able body man was forced by the government to join the military and fights against the invading armies. Seraphine's father was recruited and stayed behind in Tokyo while she, her mother, and brother escaped the city. Six months into duty, he was struck by enemy fire and perished on the battlefield. From that day on, Seraphine's mother was solely responsible for the upbringing of her two children, educating them, and teaching them the ways of life.
As the eastern alliance retaliated against the invaders from the west, more destructive weapons were used to combat their enemies. Several months went by with no resolve. As a last resort to annihilate the western forces, the eastern alliance let lose a weapon of unimaginable power. On a balmy night in August, a massive bomb was unleashed, and half of the earth was shattered. Those who survived the destruction fled deeper into the country and some even went as far as the mountains.
For two years Seraphine and her family lived in a dilapidated shack deep within the rural Japan. It was tiny, only one room; barely large enough to house a family of three. There was no power and no running water. Those extravagances were non existent so far from the cities, although it was likely that the cities were suffering the same fate. The interior smelled like rotting foliage and mould painted the corners and walls. When it rained, the shack flooded. In winter, it was impossible to heat. In the summer, the extreme temperature and humidity bent the wooden planks stabilizing the ceiling and Seraphine often wondered if it would collapse.
After several painstaking years the war finally ended. The vast bloodshed had taken its toll and the east and west decided to call a truce, and laid down their weapons for good. For a brief moment the world celebrated. Humanity was ready to go on living, ready to rebuild, ready to start anew. However, nobody was prepared for the devastation that was yet to come. A deadly disease was slowly making its way across the planet. Some say that a virus was unleashed by biological warfare. Others believe God willed humanity to suffer for its unforgivable sins. When the disease reached Japan, Seraphine and her family braced for the worst but they all knew it was likely that none of them would see the end of the year.
Seraphine desperately watched her family parish from the incurable disease and waited for her own suffering to begin. Her brother Lukasz was the youngest and did not have the strength or will to fight the illness. His death came swiftly with little suffering. Although utterly devastated, Seraphine was thankful that his death was quick and relatively painless compared to their mother Arid's excruciating end. Less than two days after Lukasz passed, her mother was struck by the disease and was tortured by pain for weeks on end. In her final days, Arid's breathing became labored. Every gasp she drew made her lungs feel like they were on fire. Blood trickled from her mouth and the corners of her eyes as her capillaries burst from the heat of her fever. Seraphine watched with distress, knowing well there was nothing she could do. No cure was available and probably never would be. She approached her mother's bedside, grasping Arid's icy hand and began to sob. "Please don't leave me Mama!" she pleaded as Arid struggled to hold onto life. Tears streamed down Seraphine's face and trickled onto her mother's chest. As she watched Arid struggling for air, she contemplated how she would survive without her mother. If it wasn't for Arid, Seraphine and Luke would have never made it through the early stages of the war; however, nothing could protect them from the illness that was killing all those left on earth.
As Seraphine clutched to her mother's hand, Arid struggled to open her eyes. She wanted to take one last look at her beautiful daughter. "Seraphine" her mother softly whispered. Taken aback by Arid's effort to speak, she let out a small gasp and leaned in so she could hear. "Yes Mama, I'm here" she said as she squeezed Arid's hand. "Try not to speak, Mama. You must preserve your energy." To Seraphine's surprise, Arid lifted her hand weakly and stroked her daughter's cheek. "I can feel that these are the last moments we have together, Seraphine" Arid struggled to whisper. "Although it greatly hurts me to speak, I want you to know how much I love you. You have turned into such a beautiful and smart young woman. I couldn't be more proud of you." Listening to her mother's words only brought more tears to Seraphine's eyes and she began to sob uncontrollably. "You have always been so independent. Your father and I could never really figure out what to do with you, but that independence and passion is what makes you so wonderful." Arid removed her hand from her daughters face and let her arm gently fall to her side. She closed her eyes and smiled. "Seraphine, I want you to try to stay healthy and survive this war. Promise me you'll do everything you can to live… Become the woman I know you can be and find someone to love and be happy with as I had with your father." Seraphine shook her head and gave Arid her word that she would do everything in her power to meet her wishes. Suddenly, Arid took a heavy gasp of air; her body seized violently, and her eyes rolled back into her head. Seraphine bawled and threw herself onto her mother's chest, begging her to hold on to any remaining life she had left. And suddenly, like a flash of lightning, Arid's soul was gone; still, quiet, and peaceful. Seraphine raised her head from her mother's chest. Her crystalline tears wet Arid's still warm cheeks as she gently kissed her for the last time. "I love you, Mama" was all Seraphine could force herself to say as the last person in her life was spirited to heaven.
After hours of grieving next to her mother's bedside, the realization that she was now on her own hit Seraphine like a pile of falling bricks. Nobody was around to protect her anymore. Nobody was there to tell her what do, or give her advice. Nobody was there to comfort her in time of need. She was utterly and profoundly alone. Seraphine wiped the few stray tears left in her eyes and contemplated what she should do. In her mind she tried to rationalize her situation. She thought to herself that there was no way she would survive the disease. It would eventually catch up with her, take over her body, and she would die. "But why haven't I already been struck by it?" she pondered. "How is it possible that I feel so unaffected after having been in close contact with the disease for weeks?" Seraphine looked around the small, dark room. She inspected the food rations only to find that there was barely enough to last a few days. The water supply needed replenishing. If she stayed where she was, she would run out of food and water within days. If the disease didn't take her first, she would starve, slowly and painfully. "If I stay here, I'll only find death no matter what I do" she thought. "But if I leave, there is a good possibility I'll run out of food anyway. I have no idea how long it will take to find others…"
For the next several minutes, Seraphine fought with herself. She wondered if there was any point of venturing out by herself, not knowing if she'd find anyone. As she sat weighing her options, she remembered what her mother had said moments before she passed. Arid had wanted her to try to survive; to make it through this madness and Seraphine had given her word that she would do everything she could to try to survive. "I must try." She said. "Mama didn't want me to die alone in this horrid place… I must leave and do everything I can to find help. There must be others like me out there!" In that moment she had made her decision. Seraphine went around the room one last time to collect all the food she could find, and bottled up the last few liters of drinkable water. She then wrapped herself in a dark brown cloak. It was dirty and smelled of mold, but it was necessary to protect her against the elements. How was she to know what kind of horror laid beyond the borders of the forest? Once she finished collecting all the things she deemed necessary, she turned to face Arid's body, still resting peacefully upon a mat. Seraphine's heart ached at the fact that she didn't have a way to bury her, so she draped a sheet over her body and said one last tearful goodbye. As she stepped out the door, a feeling of uncertainty flashed over her. At eighteen years old, without her family to guide her, it would be the first time Seraphine had real control over her life.
Alright well that was my fist chapter, however there are many more to come. I have been writing down ideas non stop and I can't wait to turn them into chapters. Can you guess who Seraphine is yet :P Obvious, eh? I plan on having at least one or two chapters out a week depending on how busy I am. As a biomedical student it can be hard to find time to write but I am dedicated to finishing this story. Please leave a comment if you have a compliment or suggestion!
Thank you – Reeseidian