The group walked farther of the Crusade, but not to far so they can't see the levi-ship anymore. If it were to Merle they would split and run in the search for her Lord Van. Luckily princess Millerna convinced her otherwise.
Chid kept close to Mamoru as they walked towards what seemed to be a large tree with a marble board in the cortex. Dryden walked closer to it so he could take a better look at the symbols in the black marble while the others stayed at the safe distance.
"Can… can you read that?" Mamoru asked eyeing the strange looking tree.
"The language is Atlanthian but I understand some of it. Let's see…" Dryden stepped closer and fixed his glasses "It speaks of future. I believe it's some sort of prophecy."
"Can you just read the damn thing?!" Merle snapped. She held this to be a waist of time and showed it clearly.
"Hold your horses, kitty." Dryden said back agitating the neko to the limit where she popped her claws "We the people of the Atlantian kingdom…"
Allen walked behind his father through the fog until they came to the snow-covered valley. Leon Schezar looked around for a moment before he headed towards the mountains on the east. They reached them in less then an hour and the knight followed his father in the shallow cave where Leon lighted a fire.
"Encia, I am so close to my goal now." He began writing in a thick journal "Mystic Valley looks as I have expected it, but the passage to the lost kingdom is closed to me still. I truly hope it will open so I can find the prove and return to you."
Allen sat opposite of his father and observed the man he never had the chance to get to know like he should have. He was his father after all, but he behaved irresponsibly towards his wife and children. He had abandoned them and left on a hunt that will cost him his life.
The sudden light illuminated the valley and Leon jumped in fright. He rushed out and looked at the pillar that appeared not far from where he was. The Ceali knight watched as his father rushed in the light, and few moments later he was gone. Looking around Allen saw that the light haven's attracted anyone else and he began to feel lonely before the light once more. The blonde knight was surprised seeing his father back so soon because he seemed to look ten years older.
He hurried back in the cave where all of his possessions have been left behind and right away took his journal. By the fast movements he was making it was obvious to Allen that he was hurrying so he wouldn't forget what he had seen.
Standing behind he's fathers crouched figure he read the words, as they appeared "…that was protected by the Wing Goddess give you this prediction. In years that are to come a child from out home will travel across the stars to the new home, created by our own last desperate wished for peace. There the children of the Wing Goddess will find piece in each other's arms. But be warned…"
"What do you think that means Dryden?" Millerna asked "Child travel across the stars? Is something like that even possible?"
"Sure it is." Mamoru piped in "Back home, on Earth we have people called astronauts that fly in the sky in the levi-ships we call spaceshuttles."
"I don't believe that is what they meant." Chid looked at the older boy "Is sounded more like they were talking about the light pillar we saw when Hitomi, Van and Allen vanished."
"Exactly, They vanished!" Merle snapped "Can we go and look for them now? Standing here is only the waste of time!"
Millerna wanted to reassure the cat-girl that everything will be all right when Merle mumbled "Accept the stupid knight. He can stay lost."
"Merle!" the princess raised her voice on the neo "He might behaved like a fool for the last several days but I assure you there is a reason for it. A good one too."
"A reason why he behaved like a jerk towards Lord Van ever since the wings came out? Do tell princess!" Merle was really angry now.
"Merle is right aunt." Chid said calmly "Knight Allen really behaved badly. So it doesn't really matter if he had a reason or not. King Van didn't do anything against him." The young prince lowered his head "He made he feel ashamed that I was his son."
Gasps surrounded the little boy "You… you knew?" Millerna looked at him shocked "How? Since when?"
"The duke told me before the battle for the Fortone temple started. He wanted me to know that despite everything I might hear later I am his son because he was the one who was there when I was born and he was the one who raised me."
"The duke was right." Mamoru said smiling with sympathy to the young prince "But now to return to the reason Allen's been an ass towards Van." The boy from the Mystic Moon looked at Millerna.
"Allen's father, Leon Schezar, went on the search many years ago. He wanted to find Atlantis. He left a wife and children behind and simply went one night." Millerna sighed "He never returned and that made Allen bitter. Towards his father, the fallen kingdom and Draconians that inhabited that place in the past."
After several minutes of silence Dryden cleared his throat "Not that the subject is closed let see what else the Draconians have to say about this subject." He turned back to the board and continued to read "But be warned…"
Hitomi wanted to cry herself. Elora was sitting on a simple bed, her arms tight around her knees and her face was hidden on her hands. Her whole body shook as she sobbed. Her tears continued to flow even when the door opened and a man walked in.
His sad expression matched the feeling in the room.
"Elora, I had no choice. Please love, understand that I-" she cut him off with a soft kiss that lasted only for a breath moment before she pulled back and hid her red eyes once more from him.
Ren remained silent. He knew that with words he couldn't comfort her, no matter how much he wished and tried to do so. His hands wrapped around the shoulders of his beloved and he pulled her closer before whispering something Hitomi couldn't hear. After that she nodded silently and was about to say something when a sharp knock interrupted the calmness.
"Ren! It is inappropriate for you to be in there!" angry female voice called from the other side "Your advisers won't appreciate you being so… so…"
"That's enough!" Ren barked snatching the door open surprising the woman on the other side but not only her. Hitomi gasped on his angered cry. He's voice sounded so familiar. It was like she heard it before.
"Then don't spend your time alone in the room with that woman." The noble looking woman from the other side of the door said back. She was dressed in a elegant gown and her brown hair was pulled up in a tight bun.
"I'll spend my time as I wish and neither my advisers or you can forbid me to do so." He said sternly before closing the door in the woman's face. She fumed for a moment on the other side before storming off, her footsteps clearly heard on the stone floor.
"You have only postponed what is to happen." Elora whispered but loud enough for Ren to hear her.
"No! I will not lose you! Not now, not ever!" he said seriously and sat on the bed next to her.
Hitomi wiped the tears from her eyes and continued to watch the sad events fate have brought in front of her. The young girl from the Mystic Moon felt her heart being torn apart as the lovers hugged tightly before Ren walked out of the room again leaving Elora in silent tears once more.
"I seems that our faith is sealed. We will part my love and very soon too." Elora stood up from her bed and walked towards the window "The prediction will not be fulfilled. I only hope this beauty will be safe."
Hitomi's emerald eyes followed Elora as she took an old looking book she kept in a dresser. Some pages were empty, Hitomi noticed, but then Elora stopped turning them and instead looked closely at the text in front of her. Hitomi stepped next to her and her eyes grew wide as she read the warning.
"…if a mortal interferes in the will of the Gods our second home will face it's biggest test. A war will rage, brought by the wishes of a man to change the decisions of our Gods, to change fate that was brought to Gaea when the children of our Wing Goddess said their last goodbye. Now we can only hope…"
"I hate riddles." Merle complained "Why couldn't they simply write what will happen and not this junk."
"But Merle, they did." Asturian princess said calmly "Think about it. This couple they write about; they were meant to meet, it was the decision of the Gods. And then this warning, it's obvious Merle."
"Then explain it to me because I don't understand!" the neko was angry. The truth was she didn't even try to understand.
"When they speak of a mortal that interferes in the will of the Gods they speak of men." Mamoru looked at her seriously and Millerna nodded happy that someone else understood what it truly meant "It means someone could step between them, someone might made them part even though the Gods wished otherwise. And that will bring their anger upon the people of the… I don't understand this second home part."
"It's Gaea." Chid said and everyone looked at him "Draconians created Gaea and sealed the rest of their power in the Fortona temple."
"So, if this two in the prediction come to part a war will rage on Gaea?" Gaddes' voice made them jump. They haven't heard the first mate approach and were now looking at him angry.
"It already happened." They all turned to see Allen standing behind them. Merle was on his side in an instant and right away began to scream.
"Where is Lord Van?! Why isn't he with you?! Did you hurt him and left him behind?! You did, didn't you?!" her claws popped out and Allen stepped back from the angry feline "I swear if you even-"
"Merle!!!" Millerna screamed and the neko jumped in fright once more and backed away from the knight.
"You were saying something Allen." Dryden looked at him seriously.
"I'm fine, thank you." The blond knight said sarcastically, but all the glares he got for it made him regret doing so.
"I said it already happened. The war on Gaea proves so. The Gods are angry." Allen explained his words.
Dryden was first to understand "Elora came from the Mystic Moon and fell in love with a man from Gaea. But he was forced to marry."
"Exactly, and that was the interference of a mortal mentioned." Millerna looked at the merchant "He was forced by the others to move on and not to wait until this Elora returned to him."
Merle sobbed "That's so sad."
"And not fair." Chid added "We are fighting a war because someone's stupidity and idiotic stories that the people from the Mystic Moon are cursed."
Silence spread through the group. Chid was right, they all knew it.
Dryden turned back to the board and continued to read "Now we can only hope…"
Van stood next to the window of the large study he have knew quite ell. After all he had spend almost ten hours a day for several years learning about law and order. But the young king had to admit the study looked different before. More neat.
A deep sigh made him look at his grandfather. He was sitting at the large wooden table and went through an old looking book. From time to time he would sighed and look away from the writings on the white paper. To Van it seemed like it pained him to read. He looked different then before the scene changed. Van observed him closely; he looked older. That's it; he was older. He's hair started to gray and his eyes looked empty.
Van came closer to see what it was that made his grandfather look so unhappy when a knock on the door made him stop and turn back.
"Come in Gaou." Strong voice said making Van gasp. He knew very well who was it to walk in.
The door opened and a small boy at the age of five ran inside towards his father. The old king picked his son up on his knees and the dark-haired boy gave him a tight hug. Van smiled sadly. It was strange to see his own father as a child, but it hurt him remembering he never really had the chance to do so himself. To hug his father like that.
"What is that you were reading daddy?" young Gaou asked pointing to the book.
"It's just little something I got as a gift a long time ago." It wasn't exactly an answer that actually answered anything and all present in the room knew that.
"Before I was born daddy?" Gaou was god at getting information eve at that young age. Van had to laugh seeing that, he never managed to keep anything a secret from him and Folken once said it was the same with him too.
"Yes. Before you were born." Seeing Gaou wanted to say something the old king interrupted him "And no, I won't read it to you or let you read it. Things written in it aren't a children's story."
"Is that why they make you so sad daddy?" Gaou snuggled closer to his father and Van smiled seeing the one he always held to be strong and independent behaving like, well, a child.
"No, it's the memories that make me sad. I wish, no, I hope someday I will find once more what I lost."
Gaou looked at his father seriously "Do you want me to help you search?"
Ren Fanel chuckled "Oh, I know where the one I lost is but that place is out of my reach."
"Okay daddy." Gaou said smiling "Do you want to help me now? Tomorrow is Balgus' Birthday and I want to give him something."
"Of course. Come, well find something for your friend." They both left the study leaving Van back with mouth open wide. He never knew his father and Balgus were childhood friends. But then again there are many things about his family he didn't know apparently.
Light wind blew in through the open windows and the pages of the book turned reminding Van he wanted to read what it was written inside.
Walking around the large desk he bend and looked over the words written with a beautiful handwriting.
"Now we can only hope that when the war spreads through our second home the people will be strong enough and stood back. But all will depend on the strength of two souls. The children of the Wing Goddess will return once more to the world of living, one as a child from far away and the other with our own blood. But beware; the past could repeat itself once more if the mortals once more decide to go against the will of the Gods. If that happens our dreams were for nothing. All we can do now is pray for the future of Gaea and those two hearts that are meant to save us all. But only if they recognize each other."
Van blinked and read the last line once more remembering the line he heard before "…heart will recognize each other…"Merle fumed, she was on the brink of sanity now. It's been three hours since Allen showed up but still no signs of Van. She paced from one side of the hangar to the other.
It got dark half an hour ago and everyone returned inside of Crusade to eat and rest. But there was no resting for the neko.
Mamoru observed her from a stair between Escaflowne's feet. The boy sighed. He was just as restless as she was just that he was better in hiding it. Not that the cat-girl tried to hide it "Merle, he's fine. They are both fine."
"You can't know that!" she screamed at him.
"How long do you know Van?" Mamoru asked calmly.
"Since we were kids." Merle looked at him strangely not understanding why he asked her that.
"If something happened to him don't you think you would know? That you would feel if he got hurt?" Merle nodded at Mamoru's words.
"You have a point." They turned to Dryden who was standing on the doors.
The merchant opened his mouth to ad something when bright light illuminated the night sky and the guymelef hangar through the open hedge. Merle jumped and ran outside.
Two forms stood on the square and a wide grin spread on the neko's face.
"Lord Van!!!" her voice made the young man turned towards the levi-ship and he smiled too seeing his childhood friend running towards him on all four like a real cat. Before he had the time to think he was already on the stone floor and was getting his face licked.
Hitomi stood few feet away and smiled seeing the cat-girl's happiness. Her own brother was running towards her, but not as fast. He hugged her tightly "We were worried, you know."
"Sorry Monstoru." She grinned and earned a "Hey!" from her brother.
"You have some explaining to do!" princess Millerna called from the hangar entrance and they headed back inside the levi-ship.
Hitomi sighed and Van looked at her "Is something wrong?"
She looked at him and asked seriously "Do you think they will ever be happy together?"
"Who?" Mamoru asked confused.
"Elora and Ren."
"Sure they will." Van tried to assure her for some reason not admiting who Ren was. It just didn't felt right admiting it "When they hearts find each other again."