Ch.2 : Traveler from the Mystic Moon

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne but my own original characters (Shayndel, Alethea, Hiro, etc.)

The sound of laughter surrounded me as I watched the twins plucking daisies from the ground and pleating together as Alethea taught from her seating position on the lounge chair. She was well into the last months of her pregnancy and was rather constricted to what she was allowed to do. I could tell it irritated her and she attempted to join the twins as they moved to the mossy grass.

"You shouldn't be moving around," I reproached her.

"I swear sometimes you are worse than Van," Alethea sighed taking a seat.

"If he sees you on the grass, he'll throw a fit and I don't want to be the recipient of that," I pointed out.

"That's true, he wouldn't dare get me riled up," she said.

"He senses your agitation, try not to give him a heart attack, he's still young," I appeased..

"Mama," Abira's voice shifted my conversation away to see her running towards me with two ropes of daisies. She gingerly placed them on the crown of our heads which with her height made them lopsided. I kissed her forehead and asked her to find some forget-me-nots so I would make a wreath for her.

"You are going to see me through my birth?" she asked me as she rubbed her blooming belly.

I faltered over my answer even though my heart very much wanted to be with her to welcome her child into the world.

"It would be an honour to be witness of your son's birth," I replied resting my hand on her stomach.

"You looked," she said piercing me with her green eyes.

I looked down, removed my hands and placed them in my lap.

"I only looked because I didn't think if I would have enough time," I said fidgeting my fingers.

"For what?" she asked.

"To linger," I answered lifting my eyes again to meet hers.

"You won't be here when he's born," she said understandingly yet with sadness.

"No," I said regrettably.

"I can feel it too. The feeling of dread permeating the land," she said.

"Ever since Folken has been away, I have recurring dreams. The first night, I sensed a change in the wind but I have not received another sign yet."

"But it is soon." She pressed.

"Yes…soon," I said just as Abira and Zephyr dumped the purple flowers on my skirt. I braided them together making sure the links were tight.

Hiro

If there was feeling to describe the sensation of not being on Earth, I would say it felt like begin sucked in and then spitted out again; which was exactly what happened. As my sister described in her stories, a column of blue light beamed down from the sky and lifted us up. Now, the place she excitedly explained to me was coming to life.

"Hiro," a faint voice called from behind. I spun around and rushed to help the fallen woman.

"Miss, what's wrong?"

"Hard to breathe..." she inhaled and exhaled rather slower than normal.

I bent over to check her pulse and found it fading.

"Which way?" I demanded.

"Up ahead," she said weakly.

I wrapped my arm around her waist and hoisted her up to lean on my side as I walked us both ahead. After a couple of steps, she was slipping from me and I quickened to prop her against the nearest tree.

"Can't make it, you have to go ahead and get help," she replied eyes half open.

"Who do I look for?" I asked impatiently not wanting to waste more seconds of her life.

There was no reply. I leaned closer to see her eyes shut and her breath shallow. I swore under my breath and started to scoop her up in my arms.

"What do you think you're doing?"

I jerked my head to the direction of the voice. The owner was a tall broad man; very tall. I gulped the nervousness my stomach was emitting from the way his gaze was inflicting on me and explained that I had come across a lady and she was sick, needing medical attention.

He swept his gaze to the woman behind him and immediately his eyes hardened. He approached me in two strides and viciously lifted me off the ground.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded roughly shaking me.

"Oh do you know her?" I said meekly, every cell in my body frozen from his blazing anger.

Hiro

I whipped my head around and saw that the woman was sliding from her position against the trunk.

"Put me down, she needs help right now," I said.

He dumped me on the ground and rushed over to the woman. He gathered her in his arms and stroked her face.

"Shayndel, wake up!"

Shayndel? Was that her name? I realized I never asked for her name. Now I could see the uneasiness that the man was feeling from the unconscious Shayndel. Now, how to convince him after he thought I was trying to hurt her? Who else did Hitomi mention was from Fanelia?

There was Van but he had black hair. Ruhm but he was from the wolf clan. There were the council but were probably old men. This man seemed to be in his early thirties. Who he could be? He had very light blond almost white hair and a purple tear drop on his right cheekbone.

It couldn't be him!

I want a CAT scan and blood tests run on her immediately. She's still unstable.

Doctor Kanzaki, here are the test results you wanted.

What is this? Her body isn't reacting well to the antibiotics. Her blood cells seem weak.

Folken

"You are Folken Strategos?"

I looked up from the unconscious and cold body in my arms to see that man standing in front of me.

"I haven't gone by that name since the end of the Great War," I said coldly.

"Listen, I know you don't trust me, but if I don't help her, she WILL die," he stressed.

I tried to sense her, but she was too withdrawn for me to reach her.

"I'm from the Mystic Moon. I am a doctor. PLEASE!" I looked at him and saw his sincere concern.

I nodded my consent and laid her out on the grass. I watched him as he placed his fingers on her inner wrist and under her nose. He then got up and straddled her with both legs entrapping her body.

"What are you doing?" I growled at his blatant disregard at their closeness.

"Her heart has stopped; I have to get it going again,"

With that he placed his hands together in a fist and pushed on her ribcage.

"Come on," he shouted rhythmically moving his hands up and down.

I could only watch helplessly as the stranger tried to save her.

Shayndel

"Shayndel! Wake up!"

Folken, is that you?

"Listen, I know you don't trust me, but if I don't help her, she WILL die!"

That's Hiro's voice

I tried to follow in the direction of their voices but I could only see darkness.

"It's not your time yet,"

I turned around and saw the person who had delivered me the fate that I had so easily disregarded.

"Will my time end when I save Gaia?" I asked.

"You must cleanse the land of the corruption. The blood of Dragons cannot be shed any longer. Only you can save them."

"How Varie?" I demanded.

"You know the answer, you must return back," she said calmly.

I took a deep breath trying to ease the bitterness of reality.

"I have to hurt Folken again," I said sadly.

"Shayndel," she called.

I turned to face her and was almost cheek to cheek. She regarded me with her sorrowful eyes.

"Courage, my daughter. Courage is all you have left."

Then she faded.

I was greeted by darkness again. I blinked rapidly as I saw multiple spots forming in front of my eyes. I attempted to turn my head but found my body protesting otherwise. Then I felt a cool hand on my neck bringing me up into a sitting position. A face loomed over me as I slowly regained my vision.

"Shayndel, can you see me?"

"Folken," I said in a small voice as his face became visible for me to make out.

"Thank God!" he said in relief as he wrapped his arms around me and buried his head in my shoulder.

"I can't move,"

He raised his head and gently eased me up on the pillows.

"I'll go get the doctor."

A few moments later he returned with Hiro. He looked tired from the dark circles under his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired approaching the bed.

"Like my body has been pricked with needles," I said.

"You were 'dead' for about 2 minutes. I imagine your body is still in shock." He said bending over to pick up my wrist and checking my pulse.

"Thank you for saving my life," I expressed graciously.

"I have a promise to keep," he stated.

"What promise?" Folken asked.

I almost forgot that he was still in the room. I looked at Hiro silently pleading with him to not disclose what he knew.

"I promised I would make sure she was able to return home safely," he said.

Folken regarded him silently, his silence obviously making Hiro very uncomfortable. He was timely interrupted by the twins rushing over and pouncing on the bed.

"Mama!" they cried clutching onto me as they had done when I was taken away to the Mystic Moon.

"My darlings, don't cry. I am here." I soothed stroking their hair.

"Abira, Zephyr, mother has to rest, you should be back in bed," Folken said coming over and gently trying to pry them off of me.

"We want to stay here with Mama," Abira said.

"It's alright, they can stay here tonight," I said as I brushed a light kiss on Abira's head.

"Papa, can you tell us story?" Zephyr requested.

Folken sat on the edge of the bed and arranged blankets to cover the twins as well as helping me onto my back. I noticed Hiro choose to make his exit quietly but I knew we would have to have a serious discussion alone. I pushed those thoughts aside as I focused my attention on my children and the fluid voice of Folken. Gradually his words seem so distanced to me and I feel asleep warmed by the twins.

The next few days I was forced to remain in bed. Alethea was also confined to bed since she had just given birth to a son namesaked for Van's father. However, she visited me, still weak from the physical labour, holding the baby for me to see.

"He looks like Van but has your eyes," I stated watching her rock the baby in her arms.

"However, he has not inherited wings,"

"You knew right away," I asked curious.

"My parents probed my shoulder blades to see if the wings were sprouting within me. Goau does not have them," she answered.

"Does he still have the other characteristics of a draconian?" I inquired.

"Oh yes, his senses are in full alert," she said.

"Forgive me for not being with you," I apologized.

"It couldn't be helped where you were; besides my son and I are both healthy,"

"Did you get to meet Hiro?" I asked.

"I heard he had saved you when Folken brought you back, but Van hasn't let me leave the room," she said.

"Then how were you able to come here?" I inquired.

"I snuck out while he is attending council," she replied.

"Alethea, are you really trying to give him a heart attack?" I exclaimed

"Well if he would have let me see you in first place, I wouldn't have to. Besides I feel fine, sitting in bed or here isn't much of a difference," she pointed out.

"May I hold him?" I asked.

She started to get up, but I cut her off by flipping the covers over and swinging my legs around to touch the cool floor. Slowly and shakily moving towards her, I braced myself into the other chair and studied the newest addition to the family.

"It seems once you become a mother, it becomes second nature to know how to hold them," I said cupping his head.

"It would seem so," she replied studying me with her eyes. I was about to ask her what was on her mind when Hiro came in. He halted when he saw Alethea. She in turn looked at him for long pause as if she was seeking something in him.

"Greetings, Hiro," she finally responded.

"You really are the same Alethea that I meet at my sister's funeral?" he asked.

"Yes but you might have guessed that I was different then," she replied back.

"Would Hitomi have wanted me to come here?" he questioned.

"The choice is only your own. She would be glad that we have met again," she said.

"You were in labour when I arrived. This is your son," he inquired inclining his head towards the bundle in my arms. I sharply turned my head to face Alethea but her expression was unreadable.

"It was difficult but I made it," she said.

Because I was here

"Alethea, you could have hurt you and the baby," I reproached.

"It wasn't intentional Shayndel. I wanted you beside me," she admitted.

"But you realize the cause of me leaving in the first place was because you wished for me to be safe?" I said.

"I know but now I can no longer control what's happening," she answered.

"You can't, but I can. I have to stop the slaughter of dragons in Zaibach. You knew this already. I am tied to the land, it can't be altered." I said clasping her hand.

"Are you meaning to say that Alethea's pendant caused you come to Mystic Moon and return?" Hiro interrupted our intense conversation.

"How do you know about the pendant?" Alethea asked turning her attention on him.

"My sister would sketch this necklace and she said it contained ancient power that the winged people wore and worshipped," he answered.

"Alethea, you better return to bed before Van finds you gone," I advised.

"Yes, that is probably best," she said taking the baby from me and standing up making her way out the door.

At last I found myself alone with Hiro.

"How long do I have?" I asked abruptly.

"At the rate of your body reaction, not very long," he said.

"I have to get to Zaibach as soon as possible," I decided.

"It's on the other side of the globe, you might not make it," he exclaimed.

"If I don't, then there will be no dragons left to maintain the land," I pointed out.

"Folken doesn't know," he deduced as the truth dawned on him.

"I can't tell him," I said sadly.

"He has the right to know," he pointed out.

"We just established that I have to go to Zaibach, if he finds out he won't let me go and risk danger. Do you see how hard it will be for me to not go?" I pleaded.

"But how will we even get there?" he asked.

"I have an idea and I need your help,"

The next morning after both Van and Folken were in council session, I took the twins and Hiro to see the wolf tribe. I introduced Hiro to Ruhm and had the children playing with the wolf cubs.

"I need a favour from you," I brought out once the three of us where out of sight from others but still in view for me to watch the twins.

"What can I do?" Ruhm asked.

"I need you to arrange transport for Hiro and me to Palas, but only to see Allen Schezar," I requested.

"When will you be leaving?" he asked after studying for a moment.

"Early tomorrow, I also need you to send a message to him before I arrive,"

"Alright leave the details to me. I'll meet you by the forest entrance at dawn tomorrow," he said turning to go.

"You aren't going to ask what the reason is." I said stopping from taking a step further.

"I didn't want to know why Folken wanted to meet with Van after doing the things he did. But it wasn't because he wanted hurt Van, he was trying to protect him. And now you are protecting him," he said.

"Thank you," I said feeling my eyes mist up.

"No need, lady. Just make sure you return to us quickly and safely,"

If I return

Author's Note: As you know, in the anime series, Hitomi mentions she has a little brother. Keeping with the same letter of name, I though Hiro seemed appropriate. He would be around 27.

I added in the forget-me-nots because I believe they are purple and that's my favourite colour.

"" stands for person's point of view

"…" stands for person thinking to themselves in a dream state

Italics means thinking to themselves and also the passages with italics is something that happened in the past