Echoes of Fire and Gold

Summary: Their story didn't start with the war, and didn't end with it either. Trauma inspires a will of steel. Friendship has a beginning and an end. Devotion has many forms. Those shaped by war can evolve to become more. Secrets are revealed, new friends made. Danger in unexpected forms, and help in unlikely places. The reunion of souls, and the separation of friends. Celebration, battle, and resolution.

Warnings:

Torture, alcohol, domestic abuse, suicidal thoughts, murder, eating disorder, skin disorder, mental disorder, fighting, blood, drug abuse, and discrimination.

Thanks To: Gurakruor for being an awesome unofficial beta and sounding board!

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne, nor the characters presented in this fanfiction. Characters, setting, and references from the movie belong to Bandai/Sunrise, and Kazuki Akane and Ryuta Yamaguchi

Based and Inspired by:

Escaflowne the Movie:

Girl on Gaea

With inspiration thanks to:

Vision of Escaflowne, the Series

Authors Notes:

Just want to thank everyone who takes the time to read and enjoy this story. I know our fandom is very small, but I'd like to give this

fanfic to those who loved and enjoyed the movie as much as I had, and those who have a soft spot for the under appreciated antagonists.

Except Folken, because screw that narcissist.


I've learned a lot about good and evil. They are not always what they appear to be.

Charles Van Doren


Gatti - Presence

Gatti watched as Jajuka stood in the area over them, looking with anger at the armor. It didnt click in his head before then, but it should have worried him.

"Chesta. any word from the commander?" Ryoun glanced over his shoulder.

"No, sir." Chesta turned his head down. He was staring at the monster with Dilandau's body inside. Almost naked sitting alone with tubes and cords inside him.

"If anything happens to him.." Ryoun glared towards the monstrous sorcerers. "We'll kill all of the sorcerers."

Gatti glanced at Chesta who didn't look away from the armor.

(Two Day's Before)

"Ryoun, what's with all the things?" Gatti rose his brow, he sifted through the blankets, the clothes. "Are we going camping?"

"No, we're leaving after this last mission is over." Ryoun said, lowering his voice.

Chesta's eyes widened and he looked inside the crate. "What, why?"

"The war will end soon, at least for us." he said, and crossed his arms. He couldn't help the slight smile.

Gatti grinned. "Good, I like this idea, if I have to hear Lord Dilandau scream out in pain again, I'll kill Folken myself." Gatti's heart hammered a bit from anger and excitement. "Though, I think we need a place to put all this, we only have a tent and it's not conspicuous."

Ryoun looked around. "Get what you need out of it now, we'll find a storage area or something."

"I know a place, let me get a carriage for it and I'll hand it off somewhere, I have a favor to call in." Gatti was all smiles as the gears worked.

"Be discreet." Ryoun glared.

Gatti smiled and saluted. "Will do, sir."

Gatti headed into Torushina, changed into his more casual attire. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. The siege was in two days and after that things were going to get hectic. He took the carriage to the outskirts of town. With the possible destruction, their stuff needed to be safe.

He talked to some acquaintances, getting some information. He was able to get some essentials and other necessities for when they ran off. He had found some places to steal a set of good horses, like hell he was paying for them.

In his mind he worried about getting hunted down. He knew that with Chesta and Dilandau, it was a bit more serious. He and Ryoun would be ignored, but he wouldn't leave without Dilandau or Chesta.

He put it out of his mind. They were coming along, Dilandau as well. He still had a pit in his stomach. They hadn't gotten much information of what was going to happen. The extent was that Dilandau was going to be gone for three days before the siege. After that it was all speculation.

He headed back before the sun set, the growing worry creating a bigger pit in his stomach. Gatti watched everyone he passed by, no one knew he was a soldier. He'd done jobs as a spy several times in the city. He knew the area well and could find every path out and away from local guards. It wouldn't mean much in a couple days when it was all going to be destroyed.

(After the attack on the Abaharaki)

He watched them all fall. Guimel's horse started to kick and rear back next to Dalet's. Chesta's tried to jump away. Gatti was next to Ryoun as they fell. Gatti counted himself lucky, far enough away so that he only had to back up a bit. Gatti fell from his horse while frantically trying to get off. He slid down the cliff edge and fell deep inside. He groaned and moved to stand when he got his footing. He called out, scared. He tirelessly searched the rubble for anyone. "Lord Dilandau!" was the only name he could manage to yell.

He searched everywhere, he pushed rocks out of the way, he had to find them, he had to find Dilandau. He was in the middle of it all, and he couldn't die from this. He had powers to help him, he had ways to survive.

Part of him wanted to find Dilandau and run off, take him somewhere and hide. Dilandau was strong, stronger than him.

Dilandau.

His mind reeled over and over, the fabricated image of his commander's broken body. Images of him crushed under rocks, or broken from the fall replayed in his head.

"Gatti."

He heard his name. "Lord Dilandau?" He called out again. He turned his head in the direction the sound. Dilandau leaned against a rock, touching his forehead from the bit of blood.

Gatti rushed him, grabbing him around the chest and held him tightly. "Thank the goddess," Gatti whispered.

Dilandau embraced him gently. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I didn't fall with my horse, the others did, I haven't found them yet." The rest of his worry was starting to flood his mind. "I hope they're alright."

"My liar," Dilandau snickered. "I know you only worried about me." He kept his voice low, and traced a bit of blood from Gatti's face. "How did you get hurt?"

Gatti nuzzled his face into Dilandau's shoulder. "Its fine, how's your head."

A rock fell close by, making them part and brush off.

Gatti separated from them, and had to take five minutes to sob, he balled his fists and pushed them into his eyes. Miguel was his best friend, Miguel was like he was. Taken in by Dilandau. Given a purpose. They weren't like the others, assigned and given by Folken.

So he cried over the loss of his friend, he vowed to take his revenge to Allen Schezar and take him down. He had to stay alive a bit longer to make sure to make it that far. Gatti wiped his eyes and stood up. He could do it now, he could take off his armor, he could sneak in, and kill the Abaharaki soldier in his sleep. He could do all that and make it back.

The image of Miguel's body, laid on the ground put his mind in a vice.

His mind went back to Dilandau, the idea of getting caught and killed made him nauseous. He could never betray Dilandau, even for Dilandau's benefit. Well, reconsidering. He'd never betray Dilandau for his own benefit. Dilandau hated hearing them say they'd die for him, it was the one big rule. Fight only to survive, fight tooth and nail to survive all enemies. Dilandau's ideals may have been shaped by Folken, but it was the only one Gatti respected.

Gatti swallowed some bile and shook his head. He had to try and get Miguel's body. Even if he had to carry it twenty miles. He'd live through it. He had to return to Dilandau, there were things he had to say. He had to make it back and make sure Ryoun and Chesta didn't kill each other. He had to come back to make sure Dilandau had a shoulder later when he realized Miguel wasn't coming back. When it finally hit his commander that death was different from that side.

Gatti walked towards the moving fortress the Abaharaki employed. There was shouts and commotion, many men still scoped the area out. They made sure there were no slayers or beast men ready to send out another attack. Both factions had been incredibly disabled in the battle. The slayers had maybe three horses, and four men, three of which badly wounded.

Gatti gave up, he couldn't see Miguel's body, he couldn't get close enough to search. He was a failure.

He could always come back, when the Abaharaki left, when the animals had gotten to Miguel. He cursed when he was far enough away. He shed more tears as he doubled back several times, wanting to risk everything to find his friend. He wouldn't be able to stand to eat meals at the table without Miguel there to complain. He wouldn't be able to bribe the other into doing his chores for stolen baked goods.

Miguel wasn't going to eat with them, or go to the bathhouse anymore. Miguel wouldn't stay up with him and Dilandau anymore. Miguel wouldn't be able to scold them for their messes or be the voice of reason when arguments broke out. Ryoun wouldn't have a scapegoat to get Chesta to take care of himself.

Gatti whined as he sat again. He had to figure out how to get Chesta to eat. It was too hard for him to manage on his own. Yes, he adored his commander, but Miguel kept them organized and balanced.

Gatti kicked a rock and covered his face. Dalet and Guimel were missing, but he wasn't sure if Jajuka gave them an out and lied about seeing them dead. Dalet hated him, and he didn't know Guimel that well. He almost envied them, they were free. Be it through death or desertion, he wished he'd have taken the plunge as well and left.

His mind went back to Miguel, he wanted to obsess over it now, and get it out of his system while he was alone. He needed to get over his friend's death now, instead of dwell and chance losing someone else.

Eventually, he got up, not wishing to be found or give Dilandau any reason to worry and headed back to them.

(Year Before End of the War)

Gatti sat down across from his commander. The table in front of them had four bottles of wine, and a bowl of cheese cubes of various kinds. He set the two wine glasses down and grinned at Dilandau who took one.

"What is this all for?" Dilandau asked.

"We don't get too much time to talk, not in a while without Ryoun and the others around." Gatti smiled at his glass before grabbing one of the bottles and uncorking it. "Besides, the others don't like to drink wine and we got these bottles from Folken." He shrugged. "And I cant have you drinking them all in your room alone, you'll drink yourself to death."

"This is also the first time in a while we've had some nights off." Dilandau mused as he watched Gatti fill his glass. "This is probably shit wine."

"It cant be too bad." Gatti laughed. "You'll have to show me what a good wine is one day."

"Unlikely, Folken sends me this wine to keep me from burning this fortress down." He took the glass and sipped at it. "Not terrible."

Gatti poured his own glass and took a sip, making a face. "I'll have to get used to it, always been a liquor person."

"Liquor is not bad, but the sugar makes me sick." Dilandau took another sip and tipped the glass some. "Mead is disgusting."

"Ale is worse, I started on that when I was ten… never again." Gatti laughed. "I'll drink this over ale or mead."

"Do you think I should bring in more men?" Dilandau asked. "Folken keeps hounding me."

"I think we should stop with Dalet, especially if all Folken's men are like him."

"Ryoun isn't," Dilandau rolled his eyes.

"Ryoun isn't an aristo-brat." Gatti swung his hand some. "Everyone you add has to have a position that goes well with everyone else's position." He finished the first glass.

Dilandau grinned. "What's your position?" He held out his empty glass to the other.

Gatti poured Dilandau's glass and then his, not caring to hide the flush in his face. He put the bottle down. "Aside from your personal wine pourer, whatever position you want to try."

Dilandau coughed a bit having to put his glass down. "Damnit Gatti." he choked out a little.

Gatti laughed. "You ok?"

"Fine." Dilandau took another drink, eyeing Gatti warily.

Gatti chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll be good." He said and took a drink. "This stuff isn't too bad once you get enough in your mouth."

Dilandau choked again.

Gatti had to cover his face. "Sorry, sorry." He laughed. "I didn't mean to do it again."

Dilandau put his glass down. "I don't trust you."

"Probably a good idea." Gatti winked. "Dalet sure doesn't."

"He'll get over it, he'll have to." Dilandau finished the last bit before pouring the remnants in his glass.

"I hope he doesn't pull a fratricide."

"Then I'll kill him." Dilandau replied. "Simple as that."

Gatti smiled and uncorked the second bottle. "Well onto better conversation.." He took a drink from the new bottle. "This one is pretty good."

Dilandau took the bottle and took a quick drink directly from the opening. "Not bad."

Gatti looked away, smiling to himself. "I have a question, and this is only between us."

Dilandau put the bottle down, debating on whether he should continue down this conversation path. "What is it?"

"Do you ever think of when we met?" Gatti asked.

Dilandau turned his eyes away. "Sometimes," He whispered.

"I do." Gatti whispered. "I was only wondering, don't worry, end of topic." He forced the full glass down his throat and felt his head buzz. If he could get drunk enough he couldn't be held responsible for what he may say.

Dilandau stared at him. "You're so full of shit," He moaned.

Gatti chuckled. "You are the only one who knows when I lie." he leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Do you blame me? You were gone when I woke up, which is generally my role, then it was like a dream."

"You were paid to say those things." Dilandau took a drink from the bottle instead of refilling his glass.

Gatti made a sour face. "No, I wasn't." He narrowed his eyes. "I meant it all, and besides, the end result wasn't too bad right?"

Dilandau glared, clenching his jaw shut until he could figure out what to say.

"It hasn't changed either, I still feel that way." Gatti's face fell, he seemed a bit dazed, but sad. He took the bottle from Dilandau and put the tip to his lips and drank the last of it. His smile came back.

Dilandau's flushed face from alcohol grew redder, his stomach ached from how much his blood started to run at Gatti's words and actions.

"It's almost depressing me, but I'm still here, still willing to die for you." Gatti put the bottle down and uncorked a third a bit awkwardly. "Longest I've been with any group."

Dilandau stood and took it from him first and poured them both a glass. "I told you I hate when you say that. No more wine for you tonight." He said, no slur in is voice. He didn't spill a drop when he gave them equal amounts in their glasses.

Gatti tried to keep his voice down, but it sounded more like he was shouting in a whisper. "You're beautiful Dilandau, you know that?"

Dilandau reeled back a little, happy he hadn't taken a drink yet. He was a bit embarrassed but couldn't help the smile on his face. "Yes, I do Gatti."

"There I said it," Gatti laid his head down after downing the last glass of wine allowed to him that night. "Again."

Dilandau's shoulders sunk and he reached over to run his fingers through Gatti's hair. "Good job my spy."

Gatti smiled, letting out a soft moan. He moved his head to look at the other. "How can you drink so much wine Lord Dilandau?"

"Practice Gatti," Dilandau continued to stroke the blonde's hair.

"You wont hate me if I say I love you right?" Gatti asked, his words were half moans, half slurs.

"No, I wont hate you."

"Good, I'll say it some day." And then he was asleep.


Author's Note:

Thank you for sticking through to the end!

Let me know what you think! Gatti's chapter reads backwards in timeline if there is any confusion


Next Time: Things used to be ok.