Allen sat, his hands placed gallantly on his face, watching the scene.
"Hitomi, what if Van's in trouble?" Merle insisted.
"I would but I-I-I. I don't know." Hitomi looked uneasy. Van spent an awful lot time in his room. They all stood in the beautiful hall of the Palace of Patria. Allen watched in amusement as the girls argued. "I'll go." Millerna told them.
Allen stood up. There was no way any of the three girls were going in.
"What if he's was taking a bath or something along those lines," Hitomi whispered, her face burning. Allen smiled. She looked pretty when she was embarrassed.
"I'll go. But I'm sure he's fine." "Go where?" a voice remarked.
They all turned to see Van. "Van!" Merle cried. She leaped into his arms. Van smiled as she engulfed him into his arms. Giving Hitomi a small smile he walked up to Allen.
"We were looking for you." Van gave a surprised look on his face and asked," Why?'
"We've decided to lead an attack on Zaibach."?!
As the slayers gathered at the Dining table Gatti rushed in. "Emperor Dornkirk you to bring the soldiers onto battle. As of now."
Guimel, Aki, Ashid, Yorushiko, Florine, Dalet, Miguel, and Chesta, Viole and Biore, launched themselves into their guymelefs. Guimel had an uneasy feeling. He looked over everyone. Aki was slightly nervous compared to Dalet's cocky composure. The Guymelefs cover fell concealing the slayers. Within a minute the Vione was empty. As the melefs poured out of the Vione, they saw guymelefs come from the other side. The sun glinted and blurred their vision. "Is that it?" Dalet asked cockily.
"We can kick their-"Dalet's voice faltered.
Hundreds of melefs poured out and headed towards them. Guimel started to sweat.
"We're outnumbered," Chesta whispered.
"Stand your ground," Gatti ordered.
"Lets go kick some Patrian __." Miguel ran blindly into battle, his sword slashed down lines of Guymelefs as he made his way through the army. All of them charged into battle. Miguel, Biore, and Dalet stood at a pile of melefs. A dark shadow swept over their guymelefs. They heard a voice.
"Picture the pendent in your mind and you will see what you are looking for."
Escaflowne headed straight for them. Escaflowne went down in a valant sweep. All three Drage Energists were destroyed. The crystals falling towards the ground. Miguel, Dalet, and Biore jumped out of their guymelefs, just as the melefs began to fall. Miguel kicked his melefs. Damn, he thought. Suddenly he heard Dilandau yell out," Folken says retreat. NOW." Damn, We were just starting to have fun, Dilandau thought. He clenched his teeth, his melef heading up to the Vione.
Guimel felt Allen Shezhar's sword fell heavily against his melef, knocking out his own stealth maneaux. He felt a shadow of Aki's melef fall blocking the sunlight. Aki's own melef had lost it's own stealth.
"Damn it! Guimel. Get up!" Yorushiko shouted. Taking advantage of Yorushiko's distraction Gadeth slashed his sword. Yorushiko felt the heavy metal of her melef knock against her head. Her vision blurred. She was knocked unconscious.
Gatti aimed his claw at Scherazade. He fired his claw. The claw went through Aki's melef barely missing her head, over Scherazade's armored shoulder. Gatti had hoped to destroy the Drage Energist. He succeeded in only in knocking Aki's drage energist. Gatti pulled his claw back. Before he could help Guimel and Aki, Van launched an attack on him. Gatti lost sight of them.
Hundreds of other guymelefs came herding toward Miguel, Dalet, and Biore. Thinking quickly, Miguel rushed into the wooded areas. Followed quickly by Biore. Dalet whipped his head back. Their guymelefs wee being crushed on impact.
"RUN!" Miguel shouted to him.
They ran into the forest, deeper and deeper. They ran into a clearing.
"Miguel. Are we lost?' Dalet asked incredulously. Miguel said nothing. He watched as the sun was beginning to set. Lost in the woods with these two bickering idiots.
Guimel climbed out of his guymelef wearily. He stood next to Aki and Florine. Hundreds of Guymelefs surrounded them. They had no choice but to surrender.
Lost and Captured. Dilandau is not going to take this well. And to further complicate things this, Guimel is blind momentarily. And Miguel. Well let's just hope he doesn't kill Biore and Dalet.
Part 1 of The last battle of the Beginning: The Vision of Escaflowne
Written by: Yak
Part Two
At his throne, Dilandau sat, slumped, his right hand supporting his hand. Suddenly he received the news. His hung straight, his eyes burning with fury.
"Eight are Missing?!" Dilandau cried out. "5 captured, 3 presumed missing, sir," Chesta corrected. Dilandau glared at him. "Do I look like I give a Damn! Which ones?!" Gatti started to read off a scroll. "Guimel, Miguel, Biore, Dalet, Aki, Florine, Yorushiko, and Ashid."
"And the Alsiedes," he asked, his temper rising.
"10 are destroyed," Gatti told him.
"Half my slayers are captured, 10 Alsiedes!" Dilandau slapped them both to the ground.
Chesta and Gatti stood up and bowed. "Get them back. Get them back. Every single one. Understood?!" It wasn't a question, it was an order. Gatti and Chesta left the room. The metal door closing loudly after them. "First we'll search the forests. Then we'll plan an attack." Chesta nodded. "But we only have six soldiers, including ourselves. It's not liable to plan a surprise attack with so little soldiers." Gatti paced awhile. "Then what do you suggest we do?" Gatti asked. "I don't know." A voice replied from the shadows. Folken stepped from the shadows, and gestured to a man from the shadows and gestured to a man from behind him. Chesta and Gatti looked at one another in surprise. Still they had no chance but to accept.
"Like how the hell am I'm going to get some sleep with all this?" Dalet asked.
"Live with it," Biore told him. Dalet at himself down at a tree and started to sleep. As he started to snore, Biore groaned. "Will you stop snoring?" "Live with it." Dalet retorted. "And why don't the both of you just SHUT UP!" Miguel was getting a headache.
Guimel walked with Aki, Florine, Yorushiko, and Ashid down the streets of Patria. Swords were held at their throats as they were escorted down the streets. A young little girl of ten ran and threw up a red liquid on his face. Guimel fell. His eyes burned and all he could see was black. Realizing what happened Aki took of the Black band on her head and placed it over Guimel's eyes. Guimel still felt searing pain even as the black band was placed over his head.
Ashid and Florine helped Guimel up.
Yorushiko clenched her fists ready to beat the girl. Young or not NO ONE hurts my family. Yorushiko glared at the girl. She fell back and walked with Ashid and Aki to the square. Yorushiko walked to the stand and felt a heavy hand push her head down. With a quick sweep her long two strands of hair were cut like bangs. Ashid bowed her head. With a quick swipe her long hair was cut short. Her hair fell against her face shrouding it from view. They were lead into the cell.
Later that night.
Guimel 's eyes started to burn. Intensely. He tried to ignore it but the pain kept spreading to every nerve in his body. He tossed and turned on the uncomfortable, metal plate he was sleeping on. The plate stretched across the entire wall of the cell. He felt a small cloth brush his face. A cloak of some kind had been placed over his face. The only person in Zaibach who wore a cloak was Aki. Aki sat at the other plate that surrounded the brick wall. Guimel drifted off, thinking. "I'm in a jail cell with four girls. It's a good thing I don't have to use the bathroom."
"Hitomi, I," Van never finished his sentence. He stood in the hall, awkward, with a nervous looking Hitomi. Merle took Van by the arm and pulled him towards the Dining hall. Van looked at her as he was being pulled away.
Hitomi rounded a corner and soon found herself at the prisoner's cell.. She looked in looked in. Moonlight spread from the barred window giving it an eerie glow. The sight Hitomi saw was like a dream. Five figures lied like angelically like angels with their faces pale, withdrawn, their eyes closed. The slayer looked over them sadly. Hitomi felt tears shimmer in her eyes. She missed home so much.
"Please I didn't mean to," Hitomi told her.
"You're the girl from the Mystic Moon," the slayer said her eyes burning with recognition.
"Hitomi Kanzaki," Hitomi told her in a low voice.
The girl said nothing.
"Onamae wa?" Hitomi asked. "I will not tell your name to anyone." Hitomi's voice rang with sincerity.
"Aki Yorshiro." Aki told her in a quiet voice.
"We only follow orders," Aki told Hitomi.
Hitomi looked up at her in surprise. Hitomi had never really thought about the slayers being real people. "Maybe I just never really wanted to."
"You still kill without any objective," Hitomi told her.
"And Van and Your Friend Allen? They have blood on their swords. "We don't fight to defend you but we fight to defend everything we liberate."
" You fight unjustly. You defend nothing."
Aki did not say it cruelly but Hitomi felt as if someone had slapped her with cold hard water. Hitomi touched her cheek.
Ah, she thought, it burns. Aki noticed this. "Masen, I didn't mean to."
Suddenly Hitomi heard a voice. She turned. A guard walked up to her. "Hey are they talking?" Hitomi never liked to lie but a promise was a promise.
"Ah, no. They said nothing at all." The guard looked at her with uncertainty but held out his hand.
"A lady such as yourself shouldn't be out here by yourself. Here. Let me escort you to the Dining Hall."
Hitomi took his hand and walked towards the steps leading out to the main hall. Hitomi turned her head. Aki nodded her head in thanks. Hitomi nodded her own head and continued up the stairs.
Meanwhile in Zaibach.
"But we can't," Chesta stammered. Gatti held up his hand.
"We don't have a choice."
"But he'll kill her and you know it. He has a personal Vendetta against Ashid. He'll kill without mercy. And he'll kill Guimel, Aki, Florine, and Yorushiko if they stand in his way."
"They can defend themselves, Chesta." Gatti said with uncertainty. I hope, he thought.
Folken's back was turned to him. Desen stood impatiently to him, trying very hard not to fidget.
"If you hurt my slayers, Desen. I will kill you understood." He clicked his heels signaling his departure.
As he left he thought, "Folken can't protect you, Ashitaka Kytoshi. I will get my revenge."
"Ah, Hitomi, you grace us with your presence," the King replied. Hitomi nodded. She sat down at the massive oak table, filled to the very corner with food.
"You know those idiot slayers, in my prison. They won't say a damned word."
Hitomi suddenly lost her appetite. She stood up.
"I'm not very hungry." She walked out of the room without another word. She headed down to her room. She put her hands on the sleeves of her uniform as she walked passed a large wooden window that shed the entire wall with light. It so cold, she thought. She pushed the door opened and laid herself on the bed. She pulled the covers on to herself. She laid asleep. She was in darkness.
"Van," she called. Suddenly she saw Van lying in her arms. Then a brilliant glow of pink light was being omitted. Through Gaea, the Mystic Moon, through every known civilization. Hitomi woke up in a deep sweat. Hitomi touched her temple. "I had a vision, but what was I dreaming?"
Part three
Miguel put a hand to silence them. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" "A sort of trotting, thumping even." Sure enough they heard the rustling of leaves and the splashes of water. It sounded like a stampede. Miguel stomped out the campfire. He put a finger to his lips. Footsteps and voices sounded. "Miguel? Dalet? Biore?" A familiar voice called out. A figure stepped out with a torch. Chesta. Miguel came out. Followed by Dalet and Biore.
"I found them!" Chesta called out. Gatti appeared moments later. A man stepped out from behind the shadows. Miguel gave a questioning glance to Chesta and Gatti. What is he doing here?
Chesta answered his question. "We had no choice."
Aki noticed one of the guards eyeing Florine. He came into the cell.
"You're kinda pretty. What's your name?" As his hand came unbearably close to her face. She backed away.
"Don't you dare touch my sister, You Ass!" Guimel clenched out.
The burly man turned around and glared in Aki and Guimel's direction. "Which one of you said that?!" Guimel was about to stand up when he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder, pinning him down in his place. Aki stood up.
"Nothing a beating can't handle."
They saw a man rush pass them towards a prisoner's cell. Allen stopped him by the arm. "What happened?" Allen asked. "A slayer, one of the boys, is getting a beating for defending their sister." Allen rushed out. Thoughts streamed before Hitomi. But there's only one boy in that cell. Hitomi rushed off to the Jail cell. Followed by Van, Merle, Allen, and Millerna.
He took the slayer angrily by the throat and thrush her down to the ground. Before Aki could get up, he kicked the slayer in the stomach. Again. The man growled with dissatisfaction. Yell, boy! You're strong for a boy. But nothing like beating the courage out of them. He kicked the boy again, certain this time he would yell out. But he didn't. He grabbed the slayer by the collar and punched him across the face. Still no yell or even gasp. He punched again. The man's hand hurt and was red and bruised himself, just from hitting. He churned his pain, turning it into reckless anger. He readied his hand and punched again. This time blood fell from the slayer's mouth and he coughed violently.
Merle turned her head away, burrowing her head into Van's shirt. Hitomi tried to tear her eyes away, but she couldn't. She stared helplessly at Aki. "Allen, Do something," Milllerna whispered. Hitomi as she looked on, thought, I think I'm going to be sick.
As he pulled back his hand again, he felt his hand being squeezed, steadily harder and harder. His clenched fist opened up in pain. He let go of the slayer who the other slayers gathered around. He started to fall to his knees. He looked up at who was squeezing his hand. Allen Shezhar. Allen looked at him in disgust. The man slanked out of the room. No one deserved that, not even someone from Zaibach.
The slayers gathered around the slayers who pushed them gently away. "I'm fine," gasped out a quiet voice. Allen was a bit taken back. He would have expected the voice of a slayer who taken a beating such as that to be well, stronger voiced. Not Quiet. Allen looked at Guimel. "Why did you do that?" the blinded boy asked. His voice matched the voice of the boy who had shouted earlier. The event clicked into place. The slayer had taken the blame and the beating for the blind boy.
A Loud Crash exploded into the cell. Allen rushed out of the cell. He put his sleeved hand to shield his eyes. He heard screams and shouts. As the dust cleared, Allen realized they were gone.
"They've escaped!" he shouted. Hitomi and Van shared a glance. All of the guards rushed out.
Aki, Guimel, and Ashid were separated from everyone else. Suddenly Ashid felt the blade of a sword at her throat. She turned around. "Desen." He glared at her, practically seething through his teeth. Guimel had his sword at his throat .
His vision had returned , the band now on his wrist.
"Hurt my sister and I'll kill you with my own BARE hands."
Desen glared at her with his cold dark eyes. The burnt smell of houses in the air and fire burned all around them making Desen's hair blurred. The smoke rose in the air to their eyes and their throat. All resisted the urge to cough.
"You never saved her. You only postponed her death. You gave her hope that she would live. But in the End she died. I promised I'll kill you, Ashitaka Kytoshi. And I will."
Desen heard a scream come from the burning house. Desen looked at Ashid and his resolve dissolved. He slid his sword into its sheath and ran into the house. He grabbed the girl and pushed her. She sprawled on the ground outside, just as the house collapsed. Desen screamed in pain as his flesh was burned. His scream echoed into Ashid's ears. She felt a guymelef pulled her from the site, but she couldn't stop staring. She stared until she was safe at the Vione. She still stared. The image and scream burned into her mind.
Desen crawled out of the fire. To a pond. His hand burned. Burned. It was unimaginable pain. He shoved his hand into the pond. "I'll kill you, Kytoshi. I vow it."
Part Four
Meanwhile Miguel yelled at Biore and Dalet who were bickering. The slayer chamber was quiet except for the snoring. Yorushiko suppressed a smile. She shivered in her sleep. She drifted off in to a deep dream. She was trapped in a darkness. She sat on nothing. Just the blackness that surrounded her. She clutched her feet to herself. She wasn't wearing her uniform it was her wedding dress. It was dark and so cold. She couldn't stand it anymore. "HELP! She screamed. Yorushiko's eyes flew open. And she threw off her covers. She looked out the window. Daylight. She saw familiar trees and lakes.
"Endaria," she whispered.
Part Five
The slayers crowded into the halls of the palace of Endaria. Yorushiko looked out the window careful to keep her head down. .They were in King Andaren of Endaria's palace. Yorushiko glanced about the familiar room where she had been married to a tyrant. Luckily she escaped and joined the Dragon slayers.
Suddenly Gaer came up and hugged her. "Princess, I've missed you.' he cried out breathlessly. Everyone stared at her. "Where's Ferdeas?" "I'm here." A boy strode out.
"I am Princess Yorushiko Enderen of Endaria."
"You're also my wife." Ferdeas said pleased at her grimacing face. He smiled haughtily at Gaer who looked at Yorushiko with a distained face. Suddenly bombs struck the palace. Melef after melef struck the palace. Allen Shezhar's ship collided with the palace and all the soldiers of Zaibach poured out. The soldiers in the palace looked surprised. Gaer headed for Yorushiko, putting an arm around her protectively.
Allen appeared at the palace entrance. He charged at Zaibach soldiers.
Desen wearily climbed the steps to the palace. His eye twitched He saw someone with black hair with a red shirt on at the top of the stairs. "Ashid,' he whispered hungrily. He drove himself up the stairs and struck Ashid. "No, not Ashid . A boy. The boy collapsed into a girl's arms. "VAN!" the girl cried out. Desen ran madly, aiming at anyone. He aimed for Yorushiko, but Gaer stepped in. Allen struck him once. Desen collapsed to the ground dead.
Everyone fought. Soon the majority of Allen's men were dead. Zaibach was winning.
"It can't end like this," Hitomi cried tearfully. "Van." Van said nothing. He pulled her head and pressed his lips in a small kiss. "Hitomi," he whispered. His head lay limp in her arms.
Allen was captured.
Zaibach had won.
"Nooooooooooo," Hitomi cried out. A flash of light burst from her body and spread over the entire world of Gaea.
Hitomi woke up to see Van and Merle. What had I been dreaming, Hitomi wondered. Merle looked at her and smugly cried out," Oh Allen! Please Help me!" Hitomi blushed. I guess that's what I dreamed. Still looking out at the Mystic Moon she wondered.
Hitomi turned back the Hands of Time. And it ended exactly the way Vision of Escaflowne as we know it. This is just a story I wrote.