Chapter 21: The mystic moon again
Yukari was staring dumbly at the site Hitomi had just occupied when the blue light swept down again. She gave a surprised shriek and fell, scrambling backwards. She shakily stood up as several things appeared and nearly passed out as she recognized Hitomi, her arm in a sling and in a dress, being attacked by a cloaked man and a monster.
The hand holding Hitomi loosened, dropping her. She landed hard on the track, dropping her bag. Her knees gave out and she stumbled forward, staggering away from the guymelef. Veris jumped down beside her but paused, looking around wildly as he realized they were no longer in Fanelia. Comprehension made his eyes widen as he gasped "The Mystic Moon?!"
Hitomi used his moment of confusion to elbow him in the abdomen and sprang up, trying to inflate her lungs. She saw Yukari staring at her with shock and Hitomi, drawing air painfully in, screamed "Yukari! RUN!" as she took a few faltering steps forward. Gaining her balance, Hitomi shifted into racing form, grabbing Yukari's arm and forcing her to run away from the danger. Yukari, still in shock, had no choice but to follow.
The man was quick to regain his feet and immediately chased after them as the guymelef roared to life and lifted into the air. Hitomi pushed Yukari to the right and turned to the left to lead her attackers away from her friend.
"You will never win, " she yelled at them while she ran. "Van will destroy you."
Veris gave a cruel laugh and responded, "You're a little fool. That boy's death is only a secondary objective. My master is after revenge, pure and simple. And you are his target. I am in it for the money."
The mechanical voice howled from the guymelef. "It is all your fault. They are all dead because of you. You could see us even with our cloaks and you taught him to see us. So you will die for the pain you caused me."
Hitomi ran faster, horrified that a heart could be so twisted as to cause all this destruction just for revenge. Well, even if they caught her here, they had no way to return to Gaea and she would not help them even if it cost her life. Fanelia would be safe from further damage and they couldn't survive for long on Earth.
The guymelef landed in front of her on the grounds of the school. As she swerved to avoid it Veris caught up with her and grabbed her wounded arm. She screamed in pain and struck at him with her other hand. He laughed again, and called to Viole in the guymelef, "Looks like the minx has claws! Let's see if she is willing to return us to Gaea in exchange for, well, her friend's life!"
The guymelef pointed his canon at Yukari's fleeing form. As Hitomi screamed a warning to Yukari, the canon began to glow as it charged. Hitomi closed her eyes in despair as a blast was fired. She heard the man curse and opened her eyes to see that Escaflowne had deflected the shot. "Van," she cried in relief.
Yukari lay on the ground where she had thrown herself at Hitomi's scream. With her arms covering her head, she had watched the white dragon come out of the sky, turn into a huge robot and save her. Seeing the other monster heading in her direction, she scrambled to her feet once again and ran around the side of the school to hide, watching the battle. She tried to spot Hitomi in the chaos, her mind going blank with panic as the conflict intensified and she was unable to see her friend.
Hitomi heard the man holding her arm curse again violently and he tightened his grip, dragging her away from Escaflowne. The enemy guymelef lifted up and charged Escaflowne, forcing Van backward with the aggressive attacks. With Van occupied with defending himself, Veris towed Hitomi toward the guymelef, which abruptly drew back from Escaflowne and reached out to grab her in the metal hand. Veris jumped to the shoulder of the guymelef and they were lifted into the air, Hitomi struggling continuously.
Van wielded Escaflowne with ease despite the face that he had not piloted the machine in five years. Startled by Viole's sudden retreat, Van swung around, trying to locate Hitomi and roared with anger when the guymelef grabbed her. To his horror, he saw them taking off into the air; Hitomi once again clutched in the machine's hand. Following on Escaflowne in dragon form, Van calculated how he could destroy the enemy without harming Hitomi. The pilot had the same idea and was using Hitomi as a shield, swinging her around in front of him as it soared higher.
"Coward," howled Van, chasing after the guymelef. "Using a defenseless woman as a shield!" He heard the man laugh, enraging him further.
With the air rushing past her and the hand squeezing her rib cage, Hitomi struggled to breathe. Dizziness assailed her as she looked around for Van. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a blur of white and she felt a flash of relief that he was unharmed and nearby. The track field was becoming a small puddle on the ground as they soared higher and Hitomi gave a brief fervent prayer that Yukari was safe.
Van wheeled Escaflowne around in an arc and gained speed as he chased after the fleeing guymelef. Escaflowne's sword erupted and the dragon clutched it in its claw as Van screamed a battle cry and attacked. Viole, hampered by Hitomi in one hand, was barely able to counter him and his laughter turned to streams of curses as Van's blade neatly broke through his defenses and sliced through his sword arm. He pushed the guymelef faster, trying to outrun the dragon but Van mirrored his every move.
Finally, in frustration, Viole screamed "If I am going to die, I am taking her with me! I will not fail Lord Dilandau again!" He switched directions and began to plummet towards the earth. Veris yelled curses at him as realized his intention to smash them all.
Van quickly followed the guymelef's descent and overtook him. Coming close to the guymelef, he took a risk and slammed into it, curving the dragon's tail to pierce though the guymelef while at the same time reaching to grab Hitomi. Veris lost his balance and fell from the shoulder to the rapidly approaching ground. Hitomi stretched her arm and for a brief second clasped Van's hand. Then the stunned guymelef released her, and she lost her grip on his hand and plummeted toward the ground, losing consciousness as she lost her breath to the wind.
"Hitomi!" Van screamed, flinging himself off the dragon. Escaflowne continued the motion Van had begun and thrust its tail into the guymelef's energist. The machine melted away from the dragon, exploding in midair and falling onto the field in the middle of the track. The scarred man screamed as the fire claimed him.
Yukari had watched the battle in disbelief. Frozen in horror she watched the machines fight and stopped breathing altogether when she saw Hitomi begin to fall. She closed her eyes and collapsed to he knees on the ground when the strange man jumped to plummet after Hitomi. Gathering her courage, she opened her eyes and began to run where Hitomi would land, hoping against hope she would not be killed.
Van gave a mental push and his wings unfurled from his back, pushing through the cloth of his shirt. He folded them close to his body to streamline himself and dived after Hitomi. Reaching her, he swooped under and caught her in his arms. Gently coasting to the ground, he held her unconscious form. She was limp in his arms and pale in the glare of the electric lights. Van knelt on the track under one of the lights still on from the practice, watching her shallow breaths anxiously. He half lay her on the ground, supporting her back and head with one arm. With the other he brushed her hair from her face, whispering, "Hitomi, wake up."
Yukari was staring dumbly at the site Hitomi had just occupied when the blue light swept down again. She gave a surprised shriek and fell, scrambling backwards. She shakily stood up as several things appeared and nearly passed out as she recognized Hitomi, her arm in a sling and in a dress, being attacked by a cloaked man and a monster.
The hand holding Hitomi loosened, dropping her. She landed hard on the track, dropping her bag. Her knees gave out and she stumbled forward, staggering away from the guymelef. Veris jumped down beside her but paused, looking around wildly as he realized they were no longer in Fanelia. Comprehension made his eyes widen as he gasped "The Mystic Moon?!"
Hitomi used his moment of confusion to elbow him in the abdomen and sprang up, trying to inflate her lungs. She saw Yukari staring at her with shock and Hitomi, drawing air painfully in, screamed "Yukari! RUN!" as she took a few faltering steps forward. Gaining her balance, Hitomi shifted into racing form, grabbing Yukari's arm and forcing her to run away from the danger. Yukari, still in shock, had no choice but to follow.
The man was quick to regain his feet and immediately chased after them as the guymelef roared to life and lifted into the air. Hitomi pushed Yukari to the right and turned to the left to lead her attackers away from her friend.
"You will never win, " she yelled at them while she ran. "Van will destroy you."
Veris gave a cruel laugh and responded, "You're a little fool. That boy's death is only a secondary objective. My master is after revenge, pure and simple. And you are his target. I am in it for the money."
The mechanical voice howled from the guymelef. "It is all your fault. They are all dead because of you. You could see us even with our cloaks and you taught him to see us. So you will die for the pain you caused me."
Hitomi ran faster, horrified that a heart could be so twisted as to cause all this destruction just for revenge. Well, even if they caught her here, they had no way to return to Gaea and she would not help them even if it cost her life. Fanelia would be safe from further damage and they couldn't survive for long on Earth.
The guymelef landed in front of her on the grounds of the school. As she swerved to avoid it Veris caught up with her and grabbed her wounded arm. She screamed in pain and struck at him with her other hand. He laughed again, and called to Viole in the guymelef, "Looks like the minx has claws! Let's see if she is willing to return us to Gaea in exchange for, well, her friend's life!"
The guymelef pointed his canon at Yukari's fleeing form. As Hitomi screamed a warning to Yukari, the canon began to glow as it charged. Hitomi closed her eyes in despair as a blast was fired. She heard the man curse and opened her eyes to see that Escaflowne had deflected the shot. "Van," she cried in relief.
Yukari lay on the ground where she had thrown herself at Hitomi's scream. With her arms covering her head, she had watched the white dragon come out of the sky, turn into a huge robot and save her. Seeing the other monster heading in her direction, she scrambled to her feet once again and ran around the side of the school to hide, watching the battle. She tried to spot Hitomi in the chaos, her mind going blank with panic as the conflict intensified and she was unable to see her friend.
Hitomi heard the man holding her arm curse again violently and he tightened his grip, dragging her away from Escaflowne. The enemy guymelef lifted up and charged Escaflowne, forcing Van backward with the aggressive attacks. With Van occupied with defending himself, Veris towed Hitomi toward the guymelef, which abruptly drew back from Escaflowne and reached out to grab her in the metal hand. Veris jumped to the shoulder of the guymelef and they were lifted into the air, Hitomi struggling continuously.
Van wielded Escaflowne with ease despite the face that he had not piloted the machine in five years. Startled by Viole's sudden retreat, Van swung around, trying to locate Hitomi and roared with anger when the guymelef grabbed her. To his horror, he saw them taking off into the air; Hitomi once again clutched in the machine's hand. Following on Escaflowne in dragon form, Van calculated how he could destroy the enemy without harming Hitomi. The pilot had the same idea and was using Hitomi as a shield, swinging her around in front of him as it soared higher.
"Coward," howled Van, chasing after the guymelef. "Using a defenseless woman as a shield!" He heard the man laugh, enraging him further.
With the air rushing past her and the hand squeezing her rib cage, Hitomi struggled to breathe. Dizziness assailed her as she looked around for Van. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a blur of white and she felt a flash of relief that he was unharmed and nearby. The track field was becoming a small puddle on the ground as they soared higher and Hitomi gave a brief fervent prayer that Yukari was safe.
Van wheeled Escaflowne around in an arc and gained speed as he chased after the fleeing guymelef. Escaflowne's sword erupted and the dragon clutched it in its claw as Van screamed a battle cry and attacked. Viole, hampered by Hitomi in one hand, was barely able to counter him and his laughter turned to streams of curses as Van's blade neatly broke through his defenses and sliced through his sword arm. He pushed the guymelef faster, trying to outrun the dragon but Van mirrored his every move.
Finally, in frustration, Viole screamed "If I am going to die, I am taking her with me! I will not fail Lord Dilandau again!" He switched directions and began to plummet towards the earth. Veris yelled curses at him as realized his intention to smash them all.
Van quickly followed the guymelef's descent and overtook him. Coming close to the guymelef, he took a risk and slammed into it, curving the dragon's tail to pierce though the guymelef while at the same time reaching to grab Hitomi. Veris lost his balance and fell from the shoulder to the rapidly approaching ground. Hitomi stretched her arm and for a brief second clasped Van's hand. Then the stunned guymelef released her, and she lost her grip on his hand and plummeted toward the ground, losing consciousness as she lost her breath to the wind.
"Hitomi!" Van screamed, flinging himself off the dragon. Escaflowne continued the motion Van had begun and thrust its tail into the guymelef's energist. The machine melted away from the dragon, exploding in midair and falling onto the field in the middle of the track. The scarred man screamed as the fire claimed him.
Yukari had watched the battle in disbelief. Frozen in horror she watched the machines fight and stopped breathing altogether when she saw Hitomi begin to fall. She closed her eyes and collapsed to he knees on the ground when the strange man jumped to plummet after Hitomi. Gathering her courage, she opened her eyes and began to run where Hitomi would land, hoping against hope she would not be killed.
Van gave a mental push and his wings unfurled from his back, pushing through the cloth of his shirt. He folded them close to his body to streamline himself and dived after Hitomi. Reaching her, he swooped under and caught her in his arms. Gently coasting to the ground, he held her unconscious form. She was limp in his arms and pale in the glare of the electric lights. Van knelt on the track under one of the lights still on from the practice, watching her shallow breaths anxiously. He half lay her on the ground, supporting her back and head with one arm. With the other he brushed her hair from her face, whispering, "Hitomi, wake up."
