Crossing the Lines II - A Gundam Wing/Vision of Escaflowne crossover fic
Written by Sandrock(sandrock@gundamwing.mailbox.as)
Legal Disclaimer
Gundam Wing and all related references are fully owned by Sunrise Inc and
Sotsu Agency. The Vision of Escaflowne and all related references are fully
owned by Sunrise Inc. All original characters used within this work of
fiction are owned by their respective creators. This work of fiction is
purely intended for non-commercial purposes and is strictly not to be used
for financial gain, monetary or otherwise. Characters are used without
permission.
Timeline
GW - January AC 196, one month after the end of the war
Escaflowne - Just prior to Princess Millerna's wedding
"They've... disappeared."
The voice was soft, questioning... disbelieving.
For a single tense moment, silence shrouded the vast confines of the room.
The young blond teen stood at the large full-length windows that opened out
on the clear blue sky, the soaring towers and skyscrapers of the massive
city beyond looking pristine in the bright morning sun. Releasing a small
sigh, he looked down, turning to face his companion.
"I'm afraid so."
Quatre Raberba Winner crossed the short distance between the windows and the
table where the young woman was seated. She avoided his gaze, her expression
unreadable.
Quatre reached out, his hand over hers, concern visible on his face.
"Relena..."
"I'm okay, Quatre. Really."
Relena Darlian-Peacecraft, vice-minister for intrasolar relations, retracted
her hands, folding them neatly on her lap as she brought her gaze up to look
at Quatre.
"How did you find out?"
The young blond shifted uncomfortably, "Trowa first became suspicious when
Heero failed to check in with us on time. We continued with the patrol,
thinking that the transmission might have gotten lost.. you know it happens
sometimes. But, when we came back from the patrol and found out that neither
Heero nor Duo had been sighted in over four hours... we started to worry."
Quatre paused.
"That was when... the moon colony reported that a skirmish had taken place
just slightly beyond their defense perimeter... and they sent the following
surveillance feed."
Crossing over to the communications console, Quatre keyed in a few commands,
and the video screen on the far wall flickered to life. Relena's breath
caught in her throat.
Wing Zero and Deathscythe, back to back, surrounded by several Leos and over
a hundred Mobile Dolls. The Mobile Dolls were closing in, but before they
could reach the two Gundams, the screen flared a brilliant white, then
dissolving into static.
Relena turned to look at Quatre, who shut off the screen.
"The colony reported an energy surge that was off the scale. When the surge
abated, Wing and Deathscythe were gone. The Mobile Dolls were still
there.... but both the Gundams were missing."
Relena interjected, "Maybe they managed to escape..."
Quatre shook his head, "There was no debris at the scene, true, but none of
the colonies have spotted them and all shipping lanes report no sightings
either."
Relena pressed a button on the communications console built into her table,
"Beatrice."
"Yes, Vice-Minister?"
"Contact Lady Anne. Tell her that I need... a personal favor. Ask her to
send out several Preventer ships. Get them to search the patrol lines Units
01 and 02 were supposed to follow."
She released the button, turning away from her desk to stare out the massive
windows. Dark clouds were gathering, casting deep shadows on the cityscape.
In the distance, the soft rumblings of thunder and occasional bright flashes
signalled the onset of a storm.
Relena sighed.
*Heero...*
*****
"Folken...."
The blue-haired man looked up, his cloak softly flowing in tune with his
motion, as a familiar voice pervaded the room. He turned to face the source
of that all-encompassing voice, a large circular viewscreen with the image
of an old, wizened man.
He nodded slightly, "Majesty."
In the background, a soldier manning one of the numerous stations spoke up,
"Fate density levels stabilizing."
Again, the voice spoke, "That was close... Folken. What is the operation's
status?"
Folken Fanel allowed himself a brief smile, "All preparations are complete,
Majesty. The Fate Alteration Engine's power is not yet perfected..."
He paused for effect, "...but I believe it will be able to influence an
easily swayed human heart."
The voice spoke again, a tinge of intrigue creeping into the inflection, as
though tasting the words, "A human heart?"
Folken nodded, "Yes, Majesty."
In his hand, he idly fingered the two strands of hair, one taken from the
Asturian knight, Allen, the other, from the girl from the Mystic Moon,
Hitomi, while they had been in captivity.
Emperor Dornkirk was right. Hitomi had to be seperated from the dragon. And
he had the perfect plan to do so.
*****
Van Fanel stood, his hands on his hips as he found himself staring at the
large white guymelef taking up a large section of the windmill. It was a
quiet, secluded spot, situated at the top of a small hill overlooking the
city of Palas, capital of Asturia. The perfect place to be alone.
He sighed.
*You're a fool, you know that?*
Unconsciously, his hand came up, gingerly touching the raw spot on his cheek
where Hitomi had struck him.
*How can I ever look at her again?*
Inside, his mind played the fateful sequence of events over and over again.
*I want you...*
*Your...*
*Your power!*
Yeah, right.
*Why couldn't I just -say- it?*
*Why?*
"Van-sama!!"
A familiar high-pitched voice broke his train of thought, and despite
himself, Van turned, a small smile already on his face as Merle came
bounding up towards him, leaping into his arms. The cat-girl, ever
enthusiastic with her greetings for Van, nuzzled him, tail swishing wildly.
The Fanelian teen's smile widened, "Merle..."
A small gasp greeted him. Gazing down, he saw the cat-girl looking at him
aghast.
"Van-sama, what...what happened to your face?"
Her hand came up, gently touching the sore spot on his face, and the
Fanelian teen flushed a deep red.
"I slipped while trying to get up on Escaflowne, and I fell. It's nothing
serious, Merle. Forget about it."
"Did you fall on someone's hand?"
Merle's voice had taken on a strangely hard edge, and Van looked up
surprised. The cat-girl was wearing a frown on her face.
"What are you talking about, Merle?"
The cat-girl's frown deepened, and she brought her hand up... holding a
mirror, facing it towards Van. The Fanelian teen blinked as he found himself
staring at the offending cheek. The reddish tinge had darkened somewhat, but
in doing so, had accentuated the details, and the sillouhette of four human
finger marks were clearly visible.
Merle's tail was quivering, her hands balled into small fists, "-She- did
this to you, didn't she? She... slapped you."
Van was silent for a moment. When he replied, his voice was steady and
emotionless, "It's not her fault, Merle. I... I deserved it."
The cat-girl made an annoyed sound, "Why are you -always- protecting her?
Look at what she did! It's gonna take -weeks- to heal!"
The black-haired teen was silent.
Merle sighed, letting go of Van and placing her hands on her hips, "Well,
you just wait here, Van-sama. I'll go get some water, and help you clean
that. Who knows what kind of strange bugs you could catch from the Mystic
Moon?"
With a soft meow, Merle ran out of the small door that led to a well in the
backyard, grabbing a small bucket she found sitting on a shelf.
Watching her leave, Van's gaze turned back towards Escaflowne.
*Why?*
A loud voice suddenly reverberated throughout the confines of the windmill,
the suddeness of it startling the Fanelian teen enough to make him jump
slightly.
"Oi, Heero! Aren't ya gonna welcome me in?"
Turning around, he found himself staring at the source of the voice - a
teenager dressed in an all-black suit, his arms folded in front of him and a
smug grin on his face. A thick brown braid of hair flowed down his back, and
it might have been easy to mistake him for a girl, except that his build and
his facial features were clearly masculine.
The Fanelian teen silently appraised the newcomer.
It took a moment, but the braided teen's grin slowly disappeared.
His eyebrows raised.
His jaw dropped. He spoke again.
"You're not Heero."
Van frowned. What the hell was he talking about? What hero was he looking
for? Shrugging it off, he replied.
"I'm glad you noticed."
*****
*Oh, shit.*
Duo Maxwell stared at the teenager in the red vest standing barely a few
feet away. Studying the boy closely, he repressed a sudden chill. The
resemblance to Heero was startingly uncanny The same hair, the same slight
frown, the same posture... even the same taste in clothes, even if they were
of a different color. And sure, his nose was a little more prominent, and
his eyes were a little larger... and a strange red in color, but...
... this kid definitely looked like Heero.
*So... if this isn't Heero... then what the hell is Wing Zero doing here?*
Duo glanced up, and his jaw dropped again.
*That's not...*
*They have... mobile suits... on this world?*
"Who are you?"
The braided teen jumped slightly, his attention going back to the teen in
the red vest.
He put on his best grin, "Uh... um... hi. The name's Duo." He tried not to
stare at the white mobile suit taking up the majority of the windmill's
interior.
*An.. interesting design.*
"Duo.", the teenager repeated the name, as though testing it. He had an
eyebrow raised.
Duo Maxwell nodded vigorously, "That's right."
As though realizing Duo wasn't going to be more forthcoming, the boy in the
red vest took a step closer, "And.. what're you doing here, Duo? All of
Asturia is supposed to be preparing for Princess Millerna's wedding."
Duo froze for a second, "Uh... well, the thing is... I'm kinda... lost, see?
And I'm looking for my friend... he looks a lot like you, that's why I
mistook you..."
The red-vested teen eyed him, expressionless, "Lost? Palas is just down that
way."
The braided teen sighed inwardly. *Why the hell is this guy so nosey?*
"I'm not from... um... Palas. I'm not... Asturian."
"I gathered as much... where are you from then? Egzardia? Deadalus? Cesario?
Basram?"
Duo blinked, keeping his hands behind his back to keep them from fidgeting,
"Um... I'm from... uh... El-too. It's over... that way. Far far that way.".
He pointed in a random direction.
The sound of a metal bucket clanking, small feet scurrying, and a
'Van-sama!' distracted the red-vested teen, and Duo turned to look. He
blinked again.
*I've GOT to be dreaming...*
"Who's that, Van-sama?"
It took the braided teen a moment to realize that the newest addition, a
strange-looking... cat-creature... girl, was looking at him, a metal bucket
clutched close to her. Her tail was upright.
Duo put on his best grin again, reaching out and stretching a hand towards
the cat-girl, "I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell. I'm from El-too. I got seperated from a
friend of mine, and I came here looking. You haven't seen him, have you?
He's about this tall, and he looks a lot like this guy-"
The cat-girl interrupted him with a quick succession of sniffs at his
outstretched hand, "You smell weird."
Duo trailed off. blinking yet again. *I smell weird?! Well, you -look-
weird, you freaky cat-*
A loud crack of thunder boomed across the sky, accompanied by an intense
flash of light. Almost simultaneously, the soft pattering of raindrops began
sounding on the roof, a soft pattering that quickly grew into a full-fledged
thunderstorm.
*****
Van Fanel looked away from the stranger briefly, long enough to glance
outside at the storm.
*Hitomi...*
Something about the strange boy in black bugged him, something he couldn't
put a finger on. He seemed too...
Van shrugged. Enough time to worry about that later.
Another crack of thunder resounded, and Van hurriedly took the cat-girl
aside, crouching down, "I'm going to go look for Hitomi."
Merle protested, "But, Van-sama, your cheek... I haven't..."
"I have to, Merle. Please understand."
A frown marred the cat-girl's features once again, "Why can't you just let
her go? You'll catch a cold!!"
"Merle... please."
The cat-girl sighed, nodding, "Yes, Van-sama..."
The Fanelian teen stood up, and while doing so, brushed close to Merle's
ear. And he whispered.
"Watch the strange kid, Merle. Don't let him near Escaflowne. I'm.. not
certain about him."
The cat-girl's eyes gleamed, "Wakatta."
Turning back to the stranger, the Fanelian teen made sure his sword was
securely attached, "Listen... um, Duo. You'd better wait out the storm here.
Once it stops, I'll see what I can do to help you find your... friend. This
is Merle. She'll be here."
The stranger nodded almost immediately, "Sure thing."
Turning to the door, he broke into a quick sprint.
*Hitomi...*
*****
"Irane yo, abunai ryu!!" - Hanabishi Recca
sola verbum Dei
Wanna glomp Chichiri? How about Duo? Van? Recca?
Proud Member of Glomp Fest 2000 NO DA!
Keeper of the Wing Chronicles*
Sandrock
* aka He Who Answers Inane Questions
Written by Sandrock(sandrock@gundamwing.mailbox.as)
Legal Disclaimer
Gundam Wing and all related references are fully owned by Sunrise Inc and
Sotsu Agency. The Vision of Escaflowne and all related references are fully
owned by Sunrise Inc. All original characters used within this work of
fiction are owned by their respective creators. This work of fiction is
purely intended for non-commercial purposes and is strictly not to be used
for financial gain, monetary or otherwise. Characters are used without
permission.
Timeline
GW - January AC 196, one month after the end of the war
Escaflowne - Just prior to Princess Millerna's wedding
"They've... disappeared."
The voice was soft, questioning... disbelieving.
For a single tense moment, silence shrouded the vast confines of the room.
The young blond teen stood at the large full-length windows that opened out
on the clear blue sky, the soaring towers and skyscrapers of the massive
city beyond looking pristine in the bright morning sun. Releasing a small
sigh, he looked down, turning to face his companion.
"I'm afraid so."
Quatre Raberba Winner crossed the short distance between the windows and the
table where the young woman was seated. She avoided his gaze, her expression
unreadable.
Quatre reached out, his hand over hers, concern visible on his face.
"Relena..."
"I'm okay, Quatre. Really."
Relena Darlian-Peacecraft, vice-minister for intrasolar relations, retracted
her hands, folding them neatly on her lap as she brought her gaze up to look
at Quatre.
"How did you find out?"
The young blond shifted uncomfortably, "Trowa first became suspicious when
Heero failed to check in with us on time. We continued with the patrol,
thinking that the transmission might have gotten lost.. you know it happens
sometimes. But, when we came back from the patrol and found out that neither
Heero nor Duo had been sighted in over four hours... we started to worry."
Quatre paused.
"That was when... the moon colony reported that a skirmish had taken place
just slightly beyond their defense perimeter... and they sent the following
surveillance feed."
Crossing over to the communications console, Quatre keyed in a few commands,
and the video screen on the far wall flickered to life. Relena's breath
caught in her throat.
Wing Zero and Deathscythe, back to back, surrounded by several Leos and over
a hundred Mobile Dolls. The Mobile Dolls were closing in, but before they
could reach the two Gundams, the screen flared a brilliant white, then
dissolving into static.
Relena turned to look at Quatre, who shut off the screen.
"The colony reported an energy surge that was off the scale. When the surge
abated, Wing and Deathscythe were gone. The Mobile Dolls were still
there.... but both the Gundams were missing."
Relena interjected, "Maybe they managed to escape..."
Quatre shook his head, "There was no debris at the scene, true, but none of
the colonies have spotted them and all shipping lanes report no sightings
either."
Relena pressed a button on the communications console built into her table,
"Beatrice."
"Yes, Vice-Minister?"
"Contact Lady Anne. Tell her that I need... a personal favor. Ask her to
send out several Preventer ships. Get them to search the patrol lines Units
01 and 02 were supposed to follow."
She released the button, turning away from her desk to stare out the massive
windows. Dark clouds were gathering, casting deep shadows on the cityscape.
In the distance, the soft rumblings of thunder and occasional bright flashes
signalled the onset of a storm.
Relena sighed.
*Heero...*
*****
"Folken...."
The blue-haired man looked up, his cloak softly flowing in tune with his
motion, as a familiar voice pervaded the room. He turned to face the source
of that all-encompassing voice, a large circular viewscreen with the image
of an old, wizened man.
He nodded slightly, "Majesty."
In the background, a soldier manning one of the numerous stations spoke up,
"Fate density levels stabilizing."
Again, the voice spoke, "That was close... Folken. What is the operation's
status?"
Folken Fanel allowed himself a brief smile, "All preparations are complete,
Majesty. The Fate Alteration Engine's power is not yet perfected..."
He paused for effect, "...but I believe it will be able to influence an
easily swayed human heart."
The voice spoke again, a tinge of intrigue creeping into the inflection, as
though tasting the words, "A human heart?"
Folken nodded, "Yes, Majesty."
In his hand, he idly fingered the two strands of hair, one taken from the
Asturian knight, Allen, the other, from the girl from the Mystic Moon,
Hitomi, while they had been in captivity.
Emperor Dornkirk was right. Hitomi had to be seperated from the dragon. And
he had the perfect plan to do so.
*****
Van Fanel stood, his hands on his hips as he found himself staring at the
large white guymelef taking up a large section of the windmill. It was a
quiet, secluded spot, situated at the top of a small hill overlooking the
city of Palas, capital of Asturia. The perfect place to be alone.
He sighed.
*You're a fool, you know that?*
Unconsciously, his hand came up, gingerly touching the raw spot on his cheek
where Hitomi had struck him.
*How can I ever look at her again?*
Inside, his mind played the fateful sequence of events over and over again.
*I want you...*
*Your...*
*Your power!*
Yeah, right.
*Why couldn't I just -say- it?*
*Why?*
"Van-sama!!"
A familiar high-pitched voice broke his train of thought, and despite
himself, Van turned, a small smile already on his face as Merle came
bounding up towards him, leaping into his arms. The cat-girl, ever
enthusiastic with her greetings for Van, nuzzled him, tail swishing wildly.
The Fanelian teen's smile widened, "Merle..."
A small gasp greeted him. Gazing down, he saw the cat-girl looking at him
aghast.
"Van-sama, what...what happened to your face?"
Her hand came up, gently touching the sore spot on his face, and the
Fanelian teen flushed a deep red.
"I slipped while trying to get up on Escaflowne, and I fell. It's nothing
serious, Merle. Forget about it."
"Did you fall on someone's hand?"
Merle's voice had taken on a strangely hard edge, and Van looked up
surprised. The cat-girl was wearing a frown on her face.
"What are you talking about, Merle?"
The cat-girl's frown deepened, and she brought her hand up... holding a
mirror, facing it towards Van. The Fanelian teen blinked as he found himself
staring at the offending cheek. The reddish tinge had darkened somewhat, but
in doing so, had accentuated the details, and the sillouhette of four human
finger marks were clearly visible.
Merle's tail was quivering, her hands balled into small fists, "-She- did
this to you, didn't she? She... slapped you."
Van was silent for a moment. When he replied, his voice was steady and
emotionless, "It's not her fault, Merle. I... I deserved it."
The cat-girl made an annoyed sound, "Why are you -always- protecting her?
Look at what she did! It's gonna take -weeks- to heal!"
The black-haired teen was silent.
Merle sighed, letting go of Van and placing her hands on her hips, "Well,
you just wait here, Van-sama. I'll go get some water, and help you clean
that. Who knows what kind of strange bugs you could catch from the Mystic
Moon?"
With a soft meow, Merle ran out of the small door that led to a well in the
backyard, grabbing a small bucket she found sitting on a shelf.
Watching her leave, Van's gaze turned back towards Escaflowne.
*Why?*
A loud voice suddenly reverberated throughout the confines of the windmill,
the suddeness of it startling the Fanelian teen enough to make him jump
slightly.
"Oi, Heero! Aren't ya gonna welcome me in?"
Turning around, he found himself staring at the source of the voice - a
teenager dressed in an all-black suit, his arms folded in front of him and a
smug grin on his face. A thick brown braid of hair flowed down his back, and
it might have been easy to mistake him for a girl, except that his build and
his facial features were clearly masculine.
The Fanelian teen silently appraised the newcomer.
It took a moment, but the braided teen's grin slowly disappeared.
His eyebrows raised.
His jaw dropped. He spoke again.
"You're not Heero."
Van frowned. What the hell was he talking about? What hero was he looking
for? Shrugging it off, he replied.
"I'm glad you noticed."
*****
*Oh, shit.*
Duo Maxwell stared at the teenager in the red vest standing barely a few
feet away. Studying the boy closely, he repressed a sudden chill. The
resemblance to Heero was startingly uncanny The same hair, the same slight
frown, the same posture... even the same taste in clothes, even if they were
of a different color. And sure, his nose was a little more prominent, and
his eyes were a little larger... and a strange red in color, but...
... this kid definitely looked like Heero.
*So... if this isn't Heero... then what the hell is Wing Zero doing here?*
Duo glanced up, and his jaw dropped again.
*That's not...*
*They have... mobile suits... on this world?*
"Who are you?"
The braided teen jumped slightly, his attention going back to the teen in
the red vest.
He put on his best grin, "Uh... um... hi. The name's Duo." He tried not to
stare at the white mobile suit taking up the majority of the windmill's
interior.
*An.. interesting design.*
"Duo.", the teenager repeated the name, as though testing it. He had an
eyebrow raised.
Duo Maxwell nodded vigorously, "That's right."
As though realizing Duo wasn't going to be more forthcoming, the boy in the
red vest took a step closer, "And.. what're you doing here, Duo? All of
Asturia is supposed to be preparing for Princess Millerna's wedding."
Duo froze for a second, "Uh... well, the thing is... I'm kinda... lost, see?
And I'm looking for my friend... he looks a lot like you, that's why I
mistook you..."
The red-vested teen eyed him, expressionless, "Lost? Palas is just down that
way."
The braided teen sighed inwardly. *Why the hell is this guy so nosey?*
"I'm not from... um... Palas. I'm not... Asturian."
"I gathered as much... where are you from then? Egzardia? Deadalus? Cesario?
Basram?"
Duo blinked, keeping his hands behind his back to keep them from fidgeting,
"Um... I'm from... uh... El-too. It's over... that way. Far far that way.".
He pointed in a random direction.
The sound of a metal bucket clanking, small feet scurrying, and a
'Van-sama!' distracted the red-vested teen, and Duo turned to look. He
blinked again.
*I've GOT to be dreaming...*
"Who's that, Van-sama?"
It took the braided teen a moment to realize that the newest addition, a
strange-looking... cat-creature... girl, was looking at him, a metal bucket
clutched close to her. Her tail was upright.
Duo put on his best grin again, reaching out and stretching a hand towards
the cat-girl, "I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell. I'm from El-too. I got seperated from a
friend of mine, and I came here looking. You haven't seen him, have you?
He's about this tall, and he looks a lot like this guy-"
The cat-girl interrupted him with a quick succession of sniffs at his
outstretched hand, "You smell weird."
Duo trailed off. blinking yet again. *I smell weird?! Well, you -look-
weird, you freaky cat-*
A loud crack of thunder boomed across the sky, accompanied by an intense
flash of light. Almost simultaneously, the soft pattering of raindrops began
sounding on the roof, a soft pattering that quickly grew into a full-fledged
thunderstorm.
*****
Van Fanel looked away from the stranger briefly, long enough to glance
outside at the storm.
*Hitomi...*
Something about the strange boy in black bugged him, something he couldn't
put a finger on. He seemed too...
Van shrugged. Enough time to worry about that later.
Another crack of thunder resounded, and Van hurriedly took the cat-girl
aside, crouching down, "I'm going to go look for Hitomi."
Merle protested, "But, Van-sama, your cheek... I haven't..."
"I have to, Merle. Please understand."
A frown marred the cat-girl's features once again, "Why can't you just let
her go? You'll catch a cold!!"
"Merle... please."
The cat-girl sighed, nodding, "Yes, Van-sama..."
The Fanelian teen stood up, and while doing so, brushed close to Merle's
ear. And he whispered.
"Watch the strange kid, Merle. Don't let him near Escaflowne. I'm.. not
certain about him."
The cat-girl's eyes gleamed, "Wakatta."
Turning back to the stranger, the Fanelian teen made sure his sword was
securely attached, "Listen... um, Duo. You'd better wait out the storm here.
Once it stops, I'll see what I can do to help you find your... friend. This
is Merle. She'll be here."
The stranger nodded almost immediately, "Sure thing."
Turning to the door, he broke into a quick sprint.
*Hitomi...*
*****
"Irane yo, abunai ryu!!" - Hanabishi Recca
sola verbum Dei
Wanna glomp Chichiri? How about Duo? Van? Recca?
Proud Member of Glomp Fest 2000 NO DA!
Keeper of the Wing Chronicles*
Sandrock
* aka He Who Answers Inane Questions