yes, my net server is still all messed up. i still haven't finished uploading my DA fic, this ic and i'm already in the making of a charmed fic. i can't live without my net! sorry to rant on you...anyways, yes, this is the next chapter. hitomi, as u can recall, is still falling and van is after her before she...well, you know...splats on Gaia. and trouble is right around the corner.....
~The Call of the Stone
~*Namida No Sora*~
Escaflowne raced downward after Hitomi, who kept falling at an increasing rate. The wind was violently shoving upward against Escaflowne's force, but this did not stop Van from reaching his target. I have to save her, he kept telling himself. I have to...oh, Hitomi, wake up!
"Mother? Shuken? Yukari? Amano? What---Why are you all so sad?" Hitomi wondered to her closest loved ones as the images kept on flooding into her mind. "Why are you not smiling? What happened? Is anything wrong? Please, why can't you hear me?!"
Her mother sitting on the virande of their home. "Hitomi, where are you?"
Shuken gazing at the stars. "What is it like up there, Hitomi?"
Yukari and Amano in the gleaming sports car. "I hope Hitomi's alright," Amano said softly as he drove.
"I shouldn't have been so mean," Yukari mumbled. "Maybe I should---"
Feathers.
The tarot cards falling off from the deck.
Raindrops falling from above.
"Believe in your power, Hitomi..."
"...Is love stronger than fate?"
Three dark objects looming over...a dark man wrapped in dark clothing watching intently over a table with cards laid out before him, his eyes insistent for an answer. Escaflowne fighting its way through an army. Rain from the sky.
"I think I get it now---"
"Hitomi!" Van yelled. "Hi---what the hell?"
Below Hitomi, three dark objects suddenly uncloaking themselves. They were flying mid-air with dark metallic colours and the silver lining indicating their sect. One of them raced up and grabbed Hitomi's fraile body, making Van wince at the same moment. He watched as Hitomi woke up.
"Van! Oh my God, Van! Help me!"
He shook his head from the confusion. "I'm coming, Hitomi! I'm coming!"
The one who caught Hitomi motioned the other two forward to intercept Van's coordinates. "Dammit," Van gritted as he switched Escaflowne to guymeluf mode. He drifted in the air, at least passing by the other two into mild confusion and making way towards the first one.
"Van!" she cried.
"I'm coming Hitomi," he muttered as he tried to ram the dark guymeluf.
The dark guymeluf went aside, causing Van to tumble mid-air. The cockpit fighter laughed, mumbled something before cloaking again in a shimmer of metallic light and disappearing for good, with Hitomi still crying his name---
"Hitomi? Hitomi!"
Escaflowne was now losing the floating as it started to tumble down towards the earth. Van was now starting to panic as he desperately tried to take control of Escaflowne. He was pressing buttons and trying to change to dragon mode again. "Oh, dammit! Escaflowne---change! Please!"
Van remembered; Escaflowne was still in repairs.
Damn! he thought.
The other two guymelufs pludged after him. A panicked Van saw this coming, whirled around with his sword drawed out, and met one of them with a slash. He heard gases hissing as the broken guymeluf steered away before exploding into oblivion.The second one came and the two fought heartlessly until Van sliced the armour to two and destroyed him. He then tumbled onto his back, falling---
Suddenly, he felt his suit slam into something hard. It jarred his thoughts for a brief moment before he came to his senses. He opened his eyes to see rock on both sides. He craned his head and opened the hatch before leaping out. He looked around; it was a ship of some sort---
"Van! Long time no see---oh, I should say, Your Majesty."
Van turned around to see a tall man walk towards him. He wore merchant-style clothing and had long brown hair up in a ponytail and small glasses on the tips of his nose. He knew immediately who it was. "Why, if it isn't Dryden," he replied with a rueful grin. "It's been a while."
Dryden grinned. "Yes, two cycles," he replied. "So...what's up?"
"Too much," Van said darkly. "There's a new enemy threatening Gaea and show themselves as dark guymelufs with a metallic-lined insignia designating their clan. They are ruthless and menacing. I almost died if not Hitomi appeared---"
"Waitaminute, Hitomi's here? In Gaea?"
"Yes," he responded. "Until they took her, that is."
Dryden nodded, taking it all in. "Hmm...the verge of another war and Hitomi's return...I'll say. You are in a lot of trouble, Van. Asturia's got a warrant out for your safe return," he told him seriously. "I know you don't wanna go back, but I can't deny anything. I'm just a merchant."
"Of course, Dryden, I wouldn't want to put your ship in any trouble."
"Though I have to say, I've heard of these dark guymelufs before," Dryden mused. "I can't say I have something solid, just some tales we merchants share..."
Suddenly, another ship came on approach.
"Who could that be?" Van wondered, shielding his eyes from the sun.
"The Crusade," Dryden replied dryly.
Van whirled around to face the passive merchant. "The Crusade? What the hell is it doing all the way out here?" he demanded.
Dryden shrugged casually. "I certainly don't know," he responded. "But the truth is, I don't really want to know. I mean, the search for you has been conducted since late yesterday and I betcha whoever is on board, probably that stiffened knight, Allan, is not the happiest camper in the world."
"Go figure," Van said glumly as the Crusade joined sides with the ship.
A few moments later, Allan appeared, his long blonde hair flashing against the sunlight. Beside him, Millerna and Meruru appeared. Meruru dashed without warning and despite Allan's ragged protest towards Van. She leaped into Van's arms. "Oh, Lord Van! How dare you leave us without warning! I have been so worried about you!"
Van did not say anything as Allan approached.
Dryden's lips parted. "Princess Millerna," he breathed.
Millerna looked at him with an air of curiousity. "Dryden."
Allan ignored the shaggy merchant and marched straight up to Van. "Van, what were you thinking, leaving off like that?" he demanded. "And making Hitomi your accomplice; are you so much of a fool as being an ignorant child? This is no time to be strutting about like an idiot; this is war! The enemy is on the move to the mainland and here you are walking about as if life was like it was."
Van did not say anything.
"Stop yelling at Lord Van!" Meruru shouted.
Allan's eyes darted from side to side. "Where's Hitomi?" he demanded.
"They took her."
"Who took her?"
"The dark guymelufs," Van replied shortly. "They appeared while Escaflowne was on dragon mode. Hitomi was using her foretelling powers to see who they really were, their motives and---she fell off. One of those bastard things caught her and disappeared. I destroyed the two others and fell onto Dryden's ship," he finished.
Dryden examined Escaflowne. "Sure is kind of worn out."
Allan didn't pay attention. "You let Hitomi fall like that? You baka!"
"I tried to catch her, but she was falling too fast!" Van yelled back angrily. "I tried, Allan, I so damned tried! I'm not like you who comes to the rescue, a knight in shining armour! Geez, Allan, you're so hard-headed these days. I wished I never saw your face...ever." He turned towards Dryden. "I think Escaflowne needs some touch-ups before I take her out again."
"Sure, no problem," Dryden replied.
"What will you do afterwards?" Millerna asked.
"I'm going to find Hitomi." Van glared at the steaming Allan. "By myself."
Where am I? Hitomi wondered as she lay down on the iron cold floor. She was still clutching the pendant as she glared up at the ceiling. It was dark. It was cold. It was everything but warm and friendly. She didn't remember much of how she winded up in the cell, nor how long time had passed.
She remembered feathers.
Oh, Van, where are you? she wondered.
She sat up. There was no point wasting time; she believed that Van would get her out of this stone cold place somehow. Holding the pendant out, she began to swing it, thinking of what was going on around her...
The clanks of swords. A battlefield filled with blood, fire and death. The dark guymelufs marching inland, holding up their banner of victory, of their legion. Escaflowne fighting in battle, both against the dark guymelufs and another guymeluf.
Feathers.
Rainclouds rolling in the landscape.
"Van?" she whispered.
She heard her cell gates open up and a gruff man stomping in. "Get up!" he croaked and dragged her to her feet with a grubby hand and dragged her out of her cell. The light from a torch blinded her vision for a brief moment, and by the time she could see, she noticed that she was being hauled down a stone corridor.
She fought panic. "Where are you taking me?!"
"To be of audience to His Majesty, Emperor Talonn, of the New Zaibach Sect."
***I won't go/ I won't sleep/
I can't breathe/Until you're resting here with me/
I won't leave/I can't hide/
I can't be/Until you resting here with me***
~"Here with Me" Dido
~End of Chapter
Uh-oh, so the enemy is revealed now...will Van save her? what about the tension between van and allan? ^_~ R&R!
~The Call of the Stone
~*Namida No Sora*~
Escaflowne raced downward after Hitomi, who kept falling at an increasing rate. The wind was violently shoving upward against Escaflowne's force, but this did not stop Van from reaching his target. I have to save her, he kept telling himself. I have to...oh, Hitomi, wake up!
"Mother? Shuken? Yukari? Amano? What---Why are you all so sad?" Hitomi wondered to her closest loved ones as the images kept on flooding into her mind. "Why are you not smiling? What happened? Is anything wrong? Please, why can't you hear me?!"
Her mother sitting on the virande of their home. "Hitomi, where are you?"
Shuken gazing at the stars. "What is it like up there, Hitomi?"
Yukari and Amano in the gleaming sports car. "I hope Hitomi's alright," Amano said softly as he drove.
"I shouldn't have been so mean," Yukari mumbled. "Maybe I should---"
Feathers.
The tarot cards falling off from the deck.
Raindrops falling from above.
"Believe in your power, Hitomi..."
"...Is love stronger than fate?"
Three dark objects looming over...a dark man wrapped in dark clothing watching intently over a table with cards laid out before him, his eyes insistent for an answer. Escaflowne fighting its way through an army. Rain from the sky.
"I think I get it now---"
"Hitomi!" Van yelled. "Hi---what the hell?"
Below Hitomi, three dark objects suddenly uncloaking themselves. They were flying mid-air with dark metallic colours and the silver lining indicating their sect. One of them raced up and grabbed Hitomi's fraile body, making Van wince at the same moment. He watched as Hitomi woke up.
"Van! Oh my God, Van! Help me!"
He shook his head from the confusion. "I'm coming, Hitomi! I'm coming!"
The one who caught Hitomi motioned the other two forward to intercept Van's coordinates. "Dammit," Van gritted as he switched Escaflowne to guymeluf mode. He drifted in the air, at least passing by the other two into mild confusion and making way towards the first one.
"Van!" she cried.
"I'm coming Hitomi," he muttered as he tried to ram the dark guymeluf.
The dark guymeluf went aside, causing Van to tumble mid-air. The cockpit fighter laughed, mumbled something before cloaking again in a shimmer of metallic light and disappearing for good, with Hitomi still crying his name---
"Hitomi? Hitomi!"
Escaflowne was now losing the floating as it started to tumble down towards the earth. Van was now starting to panic as he desperately tried to take control of Escaflowne. He was pressing buttons and trying to change to dragon mode again. "Oh, dammit! Escaflowne---change! Please!"
Van remembered; Escaflowne was still in repairs.
Damn! he thought.
The other two guymelufs pludged after him. A panicked Van saw this coming, whirled around with his sword drawed out, and met one of them with a slash. He heard gases hissing as the broken guymeluf steered away before exploding into oblivion.The second one came and the two fought heartlessly until Van sliced the armour to two and destroyed him. He then tumbled onto his back, falling---
Suddenly, he felt his suit slam into something hard. It jarred his thoughts for a brief moment before he came to his senses. He opened his eyes to see rock on both sides. He craned his head and opened the hatch before leaping out. He looked around; it was a ship of some sort---
"Van! Long time no see---oh, I should say, Your Majesty."
Van turned around to see a tall man walk towards him. He wore merchant-style clothing and had long brown hair up in a ponytail and small glasses on the tips of his nose. He knew immediately who it was. "Why, if it isn't Dryden," he replied with a rueful grin. "It's been a while."
Dryden grinned. "Yes, two cycles," he replied. "So...what's up?"
"Too much," Van said darkly. "There's a new enemy threatening Gaea and show themselves as dark guymelufs with a metallic-lined insignia designating their clan. They are ruthless and menacing. I almost died if not Hitomi appeared---"
"Waitaminute, Hitomi's here? In Gaea?"
"Yes," he responded. "Until they took her, that is."
Dryden nodded, taking it all in. "Hmm...the verge of another war and Hitomi's return...I'll say. You are in a lot of trouble, Van. Asturia's got a warrant out for your safe return," he told him seriously. "I know you don't wanna go back, but I can't deny anything. I'm just a merchant."
"Of course, Dryden, I wouldn't want to put your ship in any trouble."
"Though I have to say, I've heard of these dark guymelufs before," Dryden mused. "I can't say I have something solid, just some tales we merchants share..."
Suddenly, another ship came on approach.
"Who could that be?" Van wondered, shielding his eyes from the sun.
"The Crusade," Dryden replied dryly.
Van whirled around to face the passive merchant. "The Crusade? What the hell is it doing all the way out here?" he demanded.
Dryden shrugged casually. "I certainly don't know," he responded. "But the truth is, I don't really want to know. I mean, the search for you has been conducted since late yesterday and I betcha whoever is on board, probably that stiffened knight, Allan, is not the happiest camper in the world."
"Go figure," Van said glumly as the Crusade joined sides with the ship.
A few moments later, Allan appeared, his long blonde hair flashing against the sunlight. Beside him, Millerna and Meruru appeared. Meruru dashed without warning and despite Allan's ragged protest towards Van. She leaped into Van's arms. "Oh, Lord Van! How dare you leave us without warning! I have been so worried about you!"
Van did not say anything as Allan approached.
Dryden's lips parted. "Princess Millerna," he breathed.
Millerna looked at him with an air of curiousity. "Dryden."
Allan ignored the shaggy merchant and marched straight up to Van. "Van, what were you thinking, leaving off like that?" he demanded. "And making Hitomi your accomplice; are you so much of a fool as being an ignorant child? This is no time to be strutting about like an idiot; this is war! The enemy is on the move to the mainland and here you are walking about as if life was like it was."
Van did not say anything.
"Stop yelling at Lord Van!" Meruru shouted.
Allan's eyes darted from side to side. "Where's Hitomi?" he demanded.
"They took her."
"Who took her?"
"The dark guymelufs," Van replied shortly. "They appeared while Escaflowne was on dragon mode. Hitomi was using her foretelling powers to see who they really were, their motives and---she fell off. One of those bastard things caught her and disappeared. I destroyed the two others and fell onto Dryden's ship," he finished.
Dryden examined Escaflowne. "Sure is kind of worn out."
Allan didn't pay attention. "You let Hitomi fall like that? You baka!"
"I tried to catch her, but she was falling too fast!" Van yelled back angrily. "I tried, Allan, I so damned tried! I'm not like you who comes to the rescue, a knight in shining armour! Geez, Allan, you're so hard-headed these days. I wished I never saw your face...ever." He turned towards Dryden. "I think Escaflowne needs some touch-ups before I take her out again."
"Sure, no problem," Dryden replied.
"What will you do afterwards?" Millerna asked.
"I'm going to find Hitomi." Van glared at the steaming Allan. "By myself."
Where am I? Hitomi wondered as she lay down on the iron cold floor. She was still clutching the pendant as she glared up at the ceiling. It was dark. It was cold. It was everything but warm and friendly. She didn't remember much of how she winded up in the cell, nor how long time had passed.
She remembered feathers.
Oh, Van, where are you? she wondered.
She sat up. There was no point wasting time; she believed that Van would get her out of this stone cold place somehow. Holding the pendant out, she began to swing it, thinking of what was going on around her...
The clanks of swords. A battlefield filled with blood, fire and death. The dark guymelufs marching inland, holding up their banner of victory, of their legion. Escaflowne fighting in battle, both against the dark guymelufs and another guymeluf.
Feathers.
Rainclouds rolling in the landscape.
"Van?" she whispered.
She heard her cell gates open up and a gruff man stomping in. "Get up!" he croaked and dragged her to her feet with a grubby hand and dragged her out of her cell. The light from a torch blinded her vision for a brief moment, and by the time she could see, she noticed that she was being hauled down a stone corridor.
She fought panic. "Where are you taking me?!"
"To be of audience to His Majesty, Emperor Talonn, of the New Zaibach Sect."
***I won't go/ I won't sleep/
I can't breathe/Until you're resting here with me/
I won't leave/I can't hide/
I can't be/Until you resting here with me***
~"Here with Me" Dido
~End of Chapter
Uh-oh, so the enemy is revealed now...will Van save her? what about the tension between van and allan? ^_~ R&R!
