Wings Of Love, Back From Death

DISCLAIMERS: I don't own Escaflowne. Wish I did but I don't V_V (A/N: this is my first escaflowne fanfic, so pleez be gentle. i know i suck at them. *sigh* you know what, go ahead and flame me. guess i'll have to put up with it sooner or later)

Chapter 1: Fierce Angel From The Mystic Moon

There were wars all over Earth. Tari couldn't take it anymore. She was a fighter at heart, but she wished the fighting would stop. She fought many battles, but each death brought her closer to destruction. Her own father died fighting. Why not kill yourself and get it over with? Tari asked herself. Tari thought about it. Why not? What have you got to lose?

It was midnight with a full moon as she crept outside. There was a lake nearby with wildlife all around. Tari loved that place. It was peaceful and it was beautiful. She often sat there to think and dream of a better life. Tari often felt that she was just a shadow of someone else. Someone powerful that lived long before her.

Tari removed her necklace and stared at it. The silver chain held a beautiful pendent. Her mother had given it to her before... Tari shook her head as tears sprung to her eyes. I can't be weak! she thought fiercly. She was born a fighter and will always be. Tari unsheathed her sword.

It had a design of a dragon, fierce and strong. Tari put back on her pendent and stood up. She raised her sword and held it to her heart. Just as she was about to plunge her sword into her saddened heart, her pendent shone a bright light. Tari forced herself to be calm as she was surrounded by a bright blue light.

After what seemed like eternity, Tari felt the ground under her feet. Her eyes took in the scene before her. Around her, beautiful forest trees grew tall and undisturbed by hate. A quiet clear blue lake shone under the light of the full moon in front of her. Tari looked at all of this and felt a sense of safety. She felt at home.

Tari heard footsteps behind her and whirled around. She stood in a fighting stance, sword out and ready. Figures stepped out of the shadows. "It's a woman," one of them said.

"She doesn't look like from around here," a young voice said suspiciously. "Yet, she looks familiar to me."

"I've never seen clothing like that around here. She must be from somewhere else," another voice piped in.

"She looks weird," a female voice said.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Tari demanded. A single figure stepped from the shadows and into the moonlight. Tari gasped aloud as she saw his face. A picture flashed into her mind and quickly disappeared. Tari felt beads of sweat forming on her brow. Her heart raced. The same thing must've happened to the young man that stood in front of her.

"Do I know you?" he asked.

"No," Tari said curtly. "Where is this place?"

"This is Gaea. Why do you ask?" the young man asked. Tari lowered her sword as her eyes stung with tears. She hadn't been here for years. Her sword fell to the ground as she fell to her knees. The man made a move to help her, but stopped.

Why do I feel the need to comfort her if do not know her? he asked himself. A voice interrupted his thoughts. "Why is she crying?" his friend asked. She stared at the shaking figure before them.

"Are you alright?" Tari looked up at him, sorrow and pain clouded her eyes.

"I don't know?" she said softly. "Who are you?"

"I am Vern," he said. He felt the need to comfort and hold this girl in his arms. He shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts, but they plagued him. What's wrong with me?

"Who are you?" Melin asked rudely. She looked jealous of Tari. Tari looked down.

"My name is Tari," she said quietly.

"What are you doing here Tari?" Vern asked.

"I don't know," she whispered. She got up shaking, and sheathed her sword. She walked slowly around the lake to the other side of the forest.

"Hey! Where are you going? That part of the forest is haunted!" Vern yelled after her. He ran after her, leaving Melin behind. It was dark, and he couldn't find Tari. "Tari! Where are you?" He then saw a light shining from not that far away. He cautiously moved towards it and came upon a small wooden home. Vines and plants had long taken over it. He saw Tari standing in front of the house, something from her collar bone glowing.

"What's going on?" he asked her. Tari turned to look at him with pained filled blue eyes. "How did you know this house was here?"

"Because I lived here," she said. Her hair hid her eyes, but he could see tears streaming down her cheeks. Vern was speechless and Tari didn't say anything else. Neither of them heard the rustling of leaves nearby until it grabbed Vern.

"What the...!" The vines had snaked itself around his body and was wrapping itself tighter and tighter. Tari looked up in surprise. She saw what was happening and quickly unsheathed her sword. She cut the vines, but they came back just as quick. They were covering Vern's face as she cut as fast as she could. Then, the vines stopped, but held their prisoner. Vern could only see through one eye since the leaves were covering his other eye, but he saw a white figure standing in front of Tari.

"Stop it! Please. I don't want to hurt you," she begged. Hurt filled her voice. The figure looked like a woman. She made some sort of gesture and vine with thorns burst from the forest and went straight for Vern. Vern closed his eyes and waited for the pain to come. It didn't. He heard a small cry of pain and saw Tari standing in front of him, thorns wrapped around her. Her eyes were wide with pain and blood trickled from her wounds. The strange woman gasped and the plants backed away and disappeared. The woman closed her eyes in pain and faded away. Tari crumpled to the ground, blackness catching up to her. The last thing she remembered was being carried and voices talking before she sank into darkness.

Like i said before, i suck. but i'll continue anyway.