Disclaimer: Escaflowne (Vision of Escaflowne) doesn't belong to me, much as I'd love to have Allen. ~_^ It belongs to Sunrise, Fox Kids, and whoever was smart enough to capitalize on the idea.
Criticism: Yes, please! Only constructive. If you send flames, I'll use them to roast that annoying little electric rodent. You all know who I'm talking about.
A/N: My first Escaflowne( fic! It starts just after Van is rescued from the Zaibach Empire, is reunited with his brother, etc. Why, you ask? Because I've only seen the eps up to that point. A good reason, ne?
She stretched and yawned, the sun coming in from the window catching her blonde hair and bringing out the light auburn in it. Her violet-blue eyes sparkled; her mother had always jokingly said her eyes were weird, just like her. She glanced down at her math homework and tapped a long nail against it.
"Miaka, have you finished your homework yet?" her mother called from downstairs.
"Not yet! Is supper almost ready?" Miaka Nakano yelled back, hastily scribbling down another answer that was probably wrong anyway. She had been idly playing with a small pendant hung around her neck; a small tear-shaped jewel that her grandfather had given her. He had seemed sad when he did, telling her only that a very special friend of his had given it to him.
Miaka had been having strange dreams ever since she had heard about the missing girl, Hitomi Kanzaki. Dreams of two young men, one with long blonde hair and the other with shorter black hair; of Hitomi in a strange new land; of huge machine-like things that fought each other; of terrible wars, and another young man laughing crazily. She had woken up in a sweat, her heart beating wildly, and with a sure sense that she knew where Hitomi was... If only she could remember...
The sound of her mother's voice calling her for supper shook her out of her reverie. She hadn't known Hitomi very well, anyway. They were both on the school track team, and both did long jump and track and field, but they never spoke much. Miaka headed down the stairs and took her seat at the table. She ignored the faces her younger brother, Daisuke, was pulling at her and told her father that yes, she was doing well on her homework.
"Miaka, dear, do you feel well?" her mother asked worriedly, startling Miaka, who had been toying with her food and thinking about her dreams. "You look awfully flushed."
"I'm sure it's nothing, but I do have a bit of a headache. I think I'll go to bed." Miaka replied, smiling and excusing herself from the table. She didn't see her parents' worried expressions as she ran up the stairs, threw on her pajamas and jumped into bed. She was asleep almost immediately, and didn't notice the unusual warmth of the pendant around her neck.
Miaka's eyes snapped open, and terror gripped her heart. She was lying on a cold stone floor, huge brick walls towering over her, and everything was pitch-black. She shivered and got to her knees, noticing she still had on her pajamas. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on her shoulder, and the sputtering flame of a small candle sent shadows racing along the walls. Miaka felt as though her heart had stopped beating, and she couldn't remember any of her karate training. Then, like he was speaking in her head, she heard her instructor's voice: When unable to use karate, hit low, and hit hard.
She swung her leg, and kicked with her heel. There was a satisfying whump as her foot connected with flesh. The person holding her let go immediately, but another shadow was creeping up on her left. With that realization, her training kicked in. She remembered the basis of karate: The fist is connected to the mind.
With a yell, she charged the second person, who was holding the candle. She saw his expression of surprise just before her fist connected with his stomach. He doubled over and her knee came up and hit him in the temple. He dropped to the ground, unconscious. The first man has managed to straighten up. She must have hit him in the stomach, or the rib cage, but he was still ready to fight. He ran at her with his fists swinging. Miaka's heart beat harder than ever, but her body was going through the motions almost as though it wasn't even attached to her brain. Neatly, she tripped him and sent him flying over her hip to land next to the other man, out cold.
She let out a stifled shriek as she was lifted into the air. A sword pressed to her throat and a soft male voice whispered,
"Don't move. I don't want to hurt you..." he trailed off ominously, and Miaka froze. He set her on her feet, but kept a firm grip on her shoulder, and the sword remained at her throat. Lights flickered on, and Miaka was spun around to meet her assailant. Her mouth dropped open. It was the long-haired young man from her dream.
"You're just a girl!" he exclaimed, then frowned. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. But you took out two of my best men." He added, with a touch of awe in his voice. As usual, Miaka's mouth got in motion before her brain did.
"I guess they weren't very good for your best, then. Hate to see your worst." She replied, then covered her mouth. Her eyes widened, and she looked up fearfully. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't mean that!"
To her surprise, the young man laughed. "Please, call me Allen Schezar. And you are...?" he looked at her kindly, and she felt her fear fade away.
"Miaka. Miaka Nakano, sir. I mean Allen." Miaka blushed again, and looked down at her feet. As she did, she realized she was still in her pajama's and blushed even brighter red.
"Well, Miaka, what are you doing here? I don't know how you managed to get past our guards, and you're wearing a strange outfit. Wait, what is that around your neck?" he leaned forward and pulled the pendant out from underneath her top. Miaka's heart beat faster with his closeness, then she mentally berated herself for feeling like this when she didn't even know this man.
"Sir, uh, Allen, it was a gift from my grandfather. Please, I didn't mean any harm, and all I want to do is go home!" Miaka said, horrified at the tears springing to her eyes. She hadn't cried since she was a baby, and she wouldn't cry now, not in front of this stranger. She wiped her eyes roughly, accidentally pulling the pendant out of Allen's grasp.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm such a klutz today, and-and..." Miaka couldn't help herself, the tears streaked down her face. She turned away, embarrassed that Allen should see her like this. And then, with a shock so bad she almost fell, the vision hit her.
"Allen? Oh, oh, it's so horrible. Allen, Escaflowne... And Van, he needs our help! He's been caught, caught by the... the Zaibach Empire. Yes, that's it. They've got Escaflowne!" She spun around and grabbed the front of Allen's shirt, her eyes bright with fever. Her face was white as paper, except for two crimson spots on her cheekbones. Allen caught her as her legs gave out beneath her.
"Allen, you have to save Van... And Escaflowne, she can't be used by the Zaibach Empire! No, Van's brother, Van, he's going to do something to you!" Miaka mumbled, her eyes closing slowly until she was limp. Allen swung her into his arms and hurried onto the main deck of his ship. A few men looked up in surprise, and there were a few wolf-whistles.
"Hey, Allen, looks like you're hot with the ladies recently!" one of them called out.
"Shut up, and tell me where Hitomi is. I need her help." Allen snapped.
"Sure ya do, boss. Sure ya do." The man muttered, but he hurried off to find Hitomi. Allen carried Miaka into his room and lay her gently on the bed. He was worried by this girl, who seemed to have the same power as Hitomi. Hurried footsteps signaled Hitomi's arrival.
"Allen? What's wrong?" she asked, coming up behind him. He silently moved so she could see Miaka, who was tossing and turning with fever. Hitomi gasped.
"That's Miaka Nakano! I know her from school." Hitomi said, laying a hand on Miaka's forehead. Miaka sat bolt upright and grabbed Hitomi's arm.
"Hitomi, they think you're dead. Where's Van? Why aren't you trying to rescue Van? Oh, Allen, it wasn't your fault. No one could have stopped your sister from disappearing. It was..." she trailed off and her eyes closed again. She slumped back against the pillow, and her breathing became easier. Allen stiffened, but didn't say anything.
"They think I'm dead? And why is she asking about Van? How can she know all this?" Hitomi wondered aloud. Her eyes suddenly went wide. "Allen, she's seeing the past!"
"That's impossible. No one can see the past." Allen replied, but he was uneasy.
"Yes, but you said no one can see the future, either. And I can." Hitomi reminded him.
"Hitomi, that pendant around your neck... Miaka has one just like it." Allen suddenly remembered. "Could that be how she knows?"
"It might be. I didn't notice it before, but now I can see it. It does look awfully like mine, doesn't it? Maybe hers allows her to see the past, whereas mine tells the future. Allen, I'm going to find Van and Merle. Van will want to know about Miaka." Hitomi replied, turning to go. Allen didn't answer; he was staring at Miaka. Hitomi walked quietly out of the room and headed down the hall towards Van's room.
Miaka opened her eyes slowly, confused as to where she was and how she had gotten there. A shadow sat next to her bed, unmoving. The pendant around Miaka's neck glowed slightly, allowing her to see the outline of the young man with the long blonde hair. His name was Allen, she remembered. He appeared to be fast asleep, slumped into the chair with one hand resting on the sword on his hip. Miaka silently sat up and swung her feet out from underneath the covers. She realized with a start that she was no longer wearing her pajamas; now she was wearing a pair of black denim shorts and a neon-blue sleeveless T-shirt. It was the outfit she wore for running, but Miaka had no idea why she was wearing it.
She stood up, staggering slightly as her vision doubled from having been lying down so long. Her bare feet made no sound as she crept towards the faint outline of the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" The quiet voice made Miaka jump, and she whirled around. Allen was standing just behind her, a lantern in one hand. He lit it, making Miaka blink in the sudden light.
"Uh, I wasn't going anywhere. Where am I, and what am I doing here? I remember going to sleep in my own bed, and then I woke up here, and met you... I don't remember anything past that, except some images of-of... I don't know what it was, but it was big, and it floated in the air." Miaka replied nervously. She played with the pendant, absentmindedly twirling it on it's chain.
"Miaka, I'm not going to hurt you." Allen chuckled. "How do you feel? You had a high temperature, and you were delirious for a while."
"I did?" Miaka said, frowning. "I don't remember any of that."
"Well, if you feel fine now, I'll take you to meet Van, Merle, and Hitomi." Allen said, walking past her to open the door.
"Van? Why does that name seem so familiar?" Miaka mumbled under her breath as she followed Allen. They walked down the hall and stopped in front of a nearby door. Allen knocked, and a feminine voice told them they could enter.
"That's Merle." Allen said, pushing open the door to reveal a girl in a short dress with white fur on the neck and arms. She had short hair, dark skin, ears, a tail, and stripes on her legs and arms. Another girl with short hair sat across from the Merle, studiously ignoring her and playing with tarot cards. She glanced up as they entered, and smiled.
"Hi Allen. Miaka, it's good to see you up." She said. Miaka looked at her in disbelief.
"Hitomi?! But... Everyone thought you were dead!" she exclaimed, then ran over and hugged Hitomi. "I'm glad there's someone else from Earth here. There's a thought. How did I get here? How did you get here? Who are these people?"
"Well, I don't know how you got here, but Van came to Earth and fought a dragon, then we were both sent to Fenalia because of my pendant, but Fenalia was destroyed by the invisible enemy. We were transported to Allen's kingdom, but had to run because the invisible enemy destroyed his castle too. We are now on Allen's flying ship, and that's Merle. She comes from Fenalia too, and she's Van's childhood friend." Hitomi replied in a rush. "Oh, and Escaflowne came with us. Escaflowne is-"
"A guymelaf that turns into a dragon." Miaka interrupted, almost casually. Hitomi's mouth hung open.
"That's right. But how did you know?" she demanded. Merle stared at Miaka with suspicion.
"I saw it." Miaka replied. "I was holding this pendant," she pulled it out from beneath her shirt, "and I saw this huge machine turn into a dragon. I just knew it's name was Escaflowne."
"Hey, let me see that." Merle said, bounding over. "It looks like Hitomi's!"
"Where's Van?" Allen said. "I think he should be here before Miaka explains everything."
"I don't know where Van is." Hitomi said, studying Miaka's pendant. "This really does look like mine!"
"I haven't seen Van all day. Maybe he's out in Escaflowne." Merle added, staring over Hitomi's shoulder.
"I told him he wasn't to go anywhere." Allen said. "I'll have to go find him."
"I'm coming with you, Allen." Miaka replied. "I want to see this Escaflowne up close, and I have a feeling Van is the other young man from my dream."
"What dream?" Merle asked. "I'm coming too, Allen."
"I'll stay here, in case he comes back." Hitomi volunteered. Merle glared at her, but didn't say anything.
"Let's go then." Allen turned and strode into the hall, Miaka and Merle following him.
"So, you've known Van for a long time?" Miaka asked Merle as they walked down the hallway after Allen.
"Ever since I was a child. He's always been my best friend, and no one's going to take him away from me." Merle replied. Allen turned into a doorway coming up, and Miaka stopped as she saw the guymelaf standing alone in the hanger.
"That's Escaflowne." Merle said. "But I don't see Van around anywhere. Van!" She walked around Escaflowne, calling for Van. Allen turned and started to search to the left. Unnoticed by both of them, Miaka had walked over to stand right in front of Escaflowne. Slowly, she reached a hand out to touch the ruby Energist.
Criticism: Yes, please! Only constructive. If you send flames, I'll use them to roast that annoying little electric rodent. You all know who I'm talking about.
A/N: My first Escaflowne( fic! It starts just after Van is rescued from the Zaibach Empire, is reunited with his brother, etc. Why, you ask? Because I've only seen the eps up to that point. A good reason, ne?
She stretched and yawned, the sun coming in from the window catching her blonde hair and bringing out the light auburn in it. Her violet-blue eyes sparkled; her mother had always jokingly said her eyes were weird, just like her. She glanced down at her math homework and tapped a long nail against it.
"Miaka, have you finished your homework yet?" her mother called from downstairs.
"Not yet! Is supper almost ready?" Miaka Nakano yelled back, hastily scribbling down another answer that was probably wrong anyway. She had been idly playing with a small pendant hung around her neck; a small tear-shaped jewel that her grandfather had given her. He had seemed sad when he did, telling her only that a very special friend of his had given it to him.
Miaka had been having strange dreams ever since she had heard about the missing girl, Hitomi Kanzaki. Dreams of two young men, one with long blonde hair and the other with shorter black hair; of Hitomi in a strange new land; of huge machine-like things that fought each other; of terrible wars, and another young man laughing crazily. She had woken up in a sweat, her heart beating wildly, and with a sure sense that she knew where Hitomi was... If only she could remember...
The sound of her mother's voice calling her for supper shook her out of her reverie. She hadn't known Hitomi very well, anyway. They were both on the school track team, and both did long jump and track and field, but they never spoke much. Miaka headed down the stairs and took her seat at the table. She ignored the faces her younger brother, Daisuke, was pulling at her and told her father that yes, she was doing well on her homework.
"Miaka, dear, do you feel well?" her mother asked worriedly, startling Miaka, who had been toying with her food and thinking about her dreams. "You look awfully flushed."
"I'm sure it's nothing, but I do have a bit of a headache. I think I'll go to bed." Miaka replied, smiling and excusing herself from the table. She didn't see her parents' worried expressions as she ran up the stairs, threw on her pajamas and jumped into bed. She was asleep almost immediately, and didn't notice the unusual warmth of the pendant around her neck.
Miaka's eyes snapped open, and terror gripped her heart. She was lying on a cold stone floor, huge brick walls towering over her, and everything was pitch-black. She shivered and got to her knees, noticing she still had on her pajamas. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on her shoulder, and the sputtering flame of a small candle sent shadows racing along the walls. Miaka felt as though her heart had stopped beating, and she couldn't remember any of her karate training. Then, like he was speaking in her head, she heard her instructor's voice: When unable to use karate, hit low, and hit hard.
She swung her leg, and kicked with her heel. There was a satisfying whump as her foot connected with flesh. The person holding her let go immediately, but another shadow was creeping up on her left. With that realization, her training kicked in. She remembered the basis of karate: The fist is connected to the mind.
With a yell, she charged the second person, who was holding the candle. She saw his expression of surprise just before her fist connected with his stomach. He doubled over and her knee came up and hit him in the temple. He dropped to the ground, unconscious. The first man has managed to straighten up. She must have hit him in the stomach, or the rib cage, but he was still ready to fight. He ran at her with his fists swinging. Miaka's heart beat harder than ever, but her body was going through the motions almost as though it wasn't even attached to her brain. Neatly, she tripped him and sent him flying over her hip to land next to the other man, out cold.
She let out a stifled shriek as she was lifted into the air. A sword pressed to her throat and a soft male voice whispered,
"Don't move. I don't want to hurt you..." he trailed off ominously, and Miaka froze. He set her on her feet, but kept a firm grip on her shoulder, and the sword remained at her throat. Lights flickered on, and Miaka was spun around to meet her assailant. Her mouth dropped open. It was the long-haired young man from her dream.
"You're just a girl!" he exclaimed, then frowned. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. But you took out two of my best men." He added, with a touch of awe in his voice. As usual, Miaka's mouth got in motion before her brain did.
"I guess they weren't very good for your best, then. Hate to see your worst." She replied, then covered her mouth. Her eyes widened, and she looked up fearfully. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't mean that!"
To her surprise, the young man laughed. "Please, call me Allen Schezar. And you are...?" he looked at her kindly, and she felt her fear fade away.
"Miaka. Miaka Nakano, sir. I mean Allen." Miaka blushed again, and looked down at her feet. As she did, she realized she was still in her pajama's and blushed even brighter red.
"Well, Miaka, what are you doing here? I don't know how you managed to get past our guards, and you're wearing a strange outfit. Wait, what is that around your neck?" he leaned forward and pulled the pendant out from underneath her top. Miaka's heart beat faster with his closeness, then she mentally berated herself for feeling like this when she didn't even know this man.
"Sir, uh, Allen, it was a gift from my grandfather. Please, I didn't mean any harm, and all I want to do is go home!" Miaka said, horrified at the tears springing to her eyes. She hadn't cried since she was a baby, and she wouldn't cry now, not in front of this stranger. She wiped her eyes roughly, accidentally pulling the pendant out of Allen's grasp.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm such a klutz today, and-and..." Miaka couldn't help herself, the tears streaked down her face. She turned away, embarrassed that Allen should see her like this. And then, with a shock so bad she almost fell, the vision hit her.
"Allen? Oh, oh, it's so horrible. Allen, Escaflowne... And Van, he needs our help! He's been caught, caught by the... the Zaibach Empire. Yes, that's it. They've got Escaflowne!" She spun around and grabbed the front of Allen's shirt, her eyes bright with fever. Her face was white as paper, except for two crimson spots on her cheekbones. Allen caught her as her legs gave out beneath her.
"Allen, you have to save Van... And Escaflowne, she can't be used by the Zaibach Empire! No, Van's brother, Van, he's going to do something to you!" Miaka mumbled, her eyes closing slowly until she was limp. Allen swung her into his arms and hurried onto the main deck of his ship. A few men looked up in surprise, and there were a few wolf-whistles.
"Hey, Allen, looks like you're hot with the ladies recently!" one of them called out.
"Shut up, and tell me where Hitomi is. I need her help." Allen snapped.
"Sure ya do, boss. Sure ya do." The man muttered, but he hurried off to find Hitomi. Allen carried Miaka into his room and lay her gently on the bed. He was worried by this girl, who seemed to have the same power as Hitomi. Hurried footsteps signaled Hitomi's arrival.
"Allen? What's wrong?" she asked, coming up behind him. He silently moved so she could see Miaka, who was tossing and turning with fever. Hitomi gasped.
"That's Miaka Nakano! I know her from school." Hitomi said, laying a hand on Miaka's forehead. Miaka sat bolt upright and grabbed Hitomi's arm.
"Hitomi, they think you're dead. Where's Van? Why aren't you trying to rescue Van? Oh, Allen, it wasn't your fault. No one could have stopped your sister from disappearing. It was..." she trailed off and her eyes closed again. She slumped back against the pillow, and her breathing became easier. Allen stiffened, but didn't say anything.
"They think I'm dead? And why is she asking about Van? How can she know all this?" Hitomi wondered aloud. Her eyes suddenly went wide. "Allen, she's seeing the past!"
"That's impossible. No one can see the past." Allen replied, but he was uneasy.
"Yes, but you said no one can see the future, either. And I can." Hitomi reminded him.
"Hitomi, that pendant around your neck... Miaka has one just like it." Allen suddenly remembered. "Could that be how she knows?"
"It might be. I didn't notice it before, but now I can see it. It does look awfully like mine, doesn't it? Maybe hers allows her to see the past, whereas mine tells the future. Allen, I'm going to find Van and Merle. Van will want to know about Miaka." Hitomi replied, turning to go. Allen didn't answer; he was staring at Miaka. Hitomi walked quietly out of the room and headed down the hall towards Van's room.
Miaka opened her eyes slowly, confused as to where she was and how she had gotten there. A shadow sat next to her bed, unmoving. The pendant around Miaka's neck glowed slightly, allowing her to see the outline of the young man with the long blonde hair. His name was Allen, she remembered. He appeared to be fast asleep, slumped into the chair with one hand resting on the sword on his hip. Miaka silently sat up and swung her feet out from underneath the covers. She realized with a start that she was no longer wearing her pajamas; now she was wearing a pair of black denim shorts and a neon-blue sleeveless T-shirt. It was the outfit she wore for running, but Miaka had no idea why she was wearing it.
She stood up, staggering slightly as her vision doubled from having been lying down so long. Her bare feet made no sound as she crept towards the faint outline of the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" The quiet voice made Miaka jump, and she whirled around. Allen was standing just behind her, a lantern in one hand. He lit it, making Miaka blink in the sudden light.
"Uh, I wasn't going anywhere. Where am I, and what am I doing here? I remember going to sleep in my own bed, and then I woke up here, and met you... I don't remember anything past that, except some images of-of... I don't know what it was, but it was big, and it floated in the air." Miaka replied nervously. She played with the pendant, absentmindedly twirling it on it's chain.
"Miaka, I'm not going to hurt you." Allen chuckled. "How do you feel? You had a high temperature, and you were delirious for a while."
"I did?" Miaka said, frowning. "I don't remember any of that."
"Well, if you feel fine now, I'll take you to meet Van, Merle, and Hitomi." Allen said, walking past her to open the door.
"Van? Why does that name seem so familiar?" Miaka mumbled under her breath as she followed Allen. They walked down the hall and stopped in front of a nearby door. Allen knocked, and a feminine voice told them they could enter.
"That's Merle." Allen said, pushing open the door to reveal a girl in a short dress with white fur on the neck and arms. She had short hair, dark skin, ears, a tail, and stripes on her legs and arms. Another girl with short hair sat across from the Merle, studiously ignoring her and playing with tarot cards. She glanced up as they entered, and smiled.
"Hi Allen. Miaka, it's good to see you up." She said. Miaka looked at her in disbelief.
"Hitomi?! But... Everyone thought you were dead!" she exclaimed, then ran over and hugged Hitomi. "I'm glad there's someone else from Earth here. There's a thought. How did I get here? How did you get here? Who are these people?"
"Well, I don't know how you got here, but Van came to Earth and fought a dragon, then we were both sent to Fenalia because of my pendant, but Fenalia was destroyed by the invisible enemy. We were transported to Allen's kingdom, but had to run because the invisible enemy destroyed his castle too. We are now on Allen's flying ship, and that's Merle. She comes from Fenalia too, and she's Van's childhood friend." Hitomi replied in a rush. "Oh, and Escaflowne came with us. Escaflowne is-"
"A guymelaf that turns into a dragon." Miaka interrupted, almost casually. Hitomi's mouth hung open.
"That's right. But how did you know?" she demanded. Merle stared at Miaka with suspicion.
"I saw it." Miaka replied. "I was holding this pendant," she pulled it out from beneath her shirt, "and I saw this huge machine turn into a dragon. I just knew it's name was Escaflowne."
"Hey, let me see that." Merle said, bounding over. "It looks like Hitomi's!"
"Where's Van?" Allen said. "I think he should be here before Miaka explains everything."
"I don't know where Van is." Hitomi said, studying Miaka's pendant. "This really does look like mine!"
"I haven't seen Van all day. Maybe he's out in Escaflowne." Merle added, staring over Hitomi's shoulder.
"I told him he wasn't to go anywhere." Allen said. "I'll have to go find him."
"I'm coming with you, Allen." Miaka replied. "I want to see this Escaflowne up close, and I have a feeling Van is the other young man from my dream."
"What dream?" Merle asked. "I'm coming too, Allen."
"I'll stay here, in case he comes back." Hitomi volunteered. Merle glared at her, but didn't say anything.
"Let's go then." Allen turned and strode into the hall, Miaka and Merle following him.
"So, you've known Van for a long time?" Miaka asked Merle as they walked down the hallway after Allen.
"Ever since I was a child. He's always been my best friend, and no one's going to take him away from me." Merle replied. Allen turned into a doorway coming up, and Miaka stopped as she saw the guymelaf standing alone in the hanger.
"That's Escaflowne." Merle said. "But I don't see Van around anywhere. Van!" She walked around Escaflowne, calling for Van. Allen turned and started to search to the left. Unnoticed by both of them, Miaka had walked over to stand right in front of Escaflowne. Slowly, she reached a hand out to touch the ruby Energist.
