Lost and Found
By: rainjewel
A/N: Sorry, but I have absolutely no idea how the sequencing of the battle scene went, so I made it up in my head. Yay for rainjewel, who really needs to get her hands on some tapes. Anyway, I apologize for the awful depiction of the battle, but I couldn't write battle scenes even if my life depended on it. Also, you might have noticed that Migel is a slight Beatles freak. Well he IS British, ol' chap!
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Migel
This is insanity! Dilandau has ordered us to go into Stealth Mode for protection from the Dragon. Yeah, like that's going to help our situation. Now we've taken away our weapons when we need them the most. Dilandau is usually a highly intelligent man! Why doesn't he understand that Hitomi can see us?
Hitomi…No, I wont' think about her. Focus on battle.
"Migel! What are you, afraid? You're behind! Get closer, he can't see you!" Dilandau's voice, full of impassioned bloodlust, calls out over the intercom.
"Yes Sir," I reply. Promptly I move closer to the silent Ivory Dragon, though my mind screams against the illogical actions of our leader. I want to tell him of Hitomi's powers for his own sake, but that would only result in pain on my part and death on Hitomi's. Dilandau is in no mood to deal with my "insolence."
The Dragon sits. There is no movement from the great white guymelef, just unnerving silence, save for the gentle lapping of the lake.
"Uncloak and attack in 5…4…3…" Dilandau's voice comes purring over the intercom.
I slowly begin readying myself and my 'melef for the upcoming battle. I can feel my body shifting into mindless battle mode. It's a strange thing with me, I guess. Whenever I get into this "battle mode" my mind is operating completely on autopilot, doing the devil's dirty work. I rarely remember the details of battle. Whether it's subconscious suppression or I'm making the conscious decision to forget my violent escapades, I have no clue. Whatever it is, I hope it never changes.
"What the hell?" Dilandau's bewildered voice comes over the intercom. Suddenly Escaflowne sparks to life. The mecha turns swiftly with a flourish of its blue and red cape, sending waves of water about swirling about its legs. The Dragon strikes towards Dilandau's "invisible" Alseides unit with its huge sword. Dilandau shrieks in surprise and jumps back and uncloaks, then sends a signature burst of fire in Van's direction.
"Uncloak!" I scream through my mouthpiece towards the other Dragon Slayers. Swiftly all 15 of our midnight blue guymelefs appear on the riverbank.
Without warning, a silver and blue flash of metal sparks through the forest and slams into someone's Alseides unit. Damn it! It's that horrid Allen Schezar. The elegant Knight that I absolutely detest.
"AAHH!" Chesta's scream comes over the intercom. I see from the corner of my eye his blue guymelef falling in the water. Shit! Sherazade stands over the fallen 'melef for a second, then swiftly turns to face the others.
Frantically I take an overview of the situation. Dilandau is battling the Dragon, and faring quite well. That damn knight is hacking at Gatti and Dalet. In the background, Chesta is rising shakily to his feet, but his guymelef is totally unserviceable. Damn it Chesta, get out of there, you can't fight! Don't try to be a hero!
Stupidly, Chesta backs up from Sherazade and prepares to take a swipe at the mecha in front of him. Quickly I fly to his side and drag the crippled guymelef away from the water.
"What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to be a martyr? You're in no condition to fight. You're of no use! Get back the Vione, Chesta," I yell at him rapidly, yet with an unnerving calmness that isn't like me. It's the battle me, the other me. Check it out, I have multiple personality. Fits right in with everyone else's other quirks, I guess. I banish my thoughts. Fighting. Battle. That's all that matters.
"Yes Migel. I know," Chesta voice comes ringing over the intercom. Slowly he takes to the air, using all of his guymelef's energy to fly. I turn back to Dilandau, making my way towards the battle between him and Van.
Suddenly I feel an impact of some kind and the water rushes towards me at an alarming rate. I realize that I'm falling, and hastily shift into flying mode and pull myself back up. I spin around in midair and land, facing the silver monster that is Sherazade. I breathe in deeply.
Oh goody. Well Mr. Caeli-Fucking-Knight, I hope you're prepared to go to back to Heaven.
"May the gods welcome your soul," I say through clenched teeth at the Allen. I try to sound as gentile as possible, making sure my British accent is thick and aristocratic.
"They will, but not today," Comes the elegant reply.
Gods, this man pisses me off.
The minute he's done speaking I send a "friendly" ball of flame in his direction. Allen blocks it with his elegant sword and with an elegant swish of his cape takes an elegant thrust at my chest. Everything he does is done with flourish, like he's putting on a show. Bastard.
I dodge his sword and fire back at him with my Crima Claw. I know that he can beat me at sword fighting, but I think that I can out maneuver him in guymelef warfare as long as I'm creative and don't result to sword combat.
I quickly soar into the sky and land behind him in the water. With my sword I slice at his arm. Unfortunately, Schezar anticipated my every move and actually manages to slice off my guymelef's lower right arm. Well shit. I guess I won't do that again.
Immediately I fling another shot at him with my left Crima Claw. Caught off guard by my brisk recovery, I hit him in the shoulder. He stumbles back, and for once he doesn't look so elegant. That makes me incredibly happy.
"Bang bang Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon his head," I sing with more than a little malice through my amplifier. It's such a sick little joke. The old Beatles tune makes no sense to him, but it reassures me out of its habitual familiarity. I keep humming. I used to hum when I'd run, but now I hum when I battle. How lovely.
…"Ryan, you hum when you run and you sing when you're happy. What do you do when you're angry? "…
…"Strip."…
Yeah, right.
Allen thrusts another jab in my direction and I block it with my sword. For a few minutes we're locked in sword combat, exactly what I didn't want to do. Finally I reach up and simply kick him with my armored foot. He's thrown back, but takes a swipe at me, catching my side. I feel a pain shoot up my left side, but I ignore it and keep humming. Quickly I advance on him and knock him down with my Crima Claw.
"Bang bang Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that he was dead," I sing again. I raise my sword to deliver a potentially lethal blow, then swing down with an awful force. Allen barely has enough time to get his sword in a position to block. Using both his hands he heaves me off his mecha. Damn! He's stronger then me. Two heads are better then one; I guess that goes the same for hands.
As I soar backward I shift to flying mode, but Allen rises to his feet and jumps into the air, slamming his sword into my chest. I fall to the water, the air knocked from my body. My mind begins to spin and I lose hold of the situation momentarily.
"To you, O Lord, I pray. Don't fail me, Lord, for I am trusting you. Don't let my enemies succeed. Don't give them victory over me."
Ah. Psalm 25. The beginning certainly is nice.
"May the gods welcome your young soul," Allen says with his putrid elegance.
"And may they spit on yours," I yell back at him with all of my might. The weird vertigo is still enshrouding me, making it hard to function. I feel an alien tightening in my chest. Fear. I shoot a weak claw at him, which he blocks easily. My weapons are failing on me.
"…But all who harm the innocent shall be defeated…" Well, I certainly am out of luck.
"No! Allen! Stop!" screams a familiar voice. My mind snaps from its fuzzy murkiness.
Hitomi.
I strain to see her from my awkward position. The pain in my side increases, and for the first time I feel the hot blood pouring down my side.
She stands on the golden beach with some orange catgirl. The wind is whipping around her, sending her skirt aflutter and her light brown hair dancing. Well Migel, at least the last thing you see alive is beautiful.
"Ryan!" How does she know it's me? Must be the British accent.
"Hitomi! Get back! You don't know what you're talking about!" Allen calls out through his own amplifier. He turns back to me, brandishing his sword.
Goodbye Hitomi.
Hitomi begins to yell something, but maniacal laughing cuts it off. Suddenly a red Alseides unit replaces Allen's towering form. Dilandau wraps my torso with his claw and drags my guymelef to its feet.
"Are you alright Labariel?" Dilandau asks through the intercom.
"I'll make it, Sir," I say weakly. My savior has come again. Fuck god. As long as I have Dilandau, I'm fine.
"Hopefully Schezar won't," Dilandau replies. I look to my side. Allen is lying in his fallen guymelef. Dilandau hit him in the chest; the wound's probably fatal.
"Allen! Oh god, Allen!" Hitomi is screaming hysterically. I feel jealousy course through my bleeding veins.
"I got careless," Allen says weakly from the fallen Sherazade. Who the hell does he think he's talking to?
"Yes, you certainly did, and now you're going to burn," Dilandau replies with insane calmness. He then laughs dementedly and whips out his flame-thrower.
"No you don't!" yells another, younger voice. A sword flies towards Dilandau, and I reflexively aim my weakened claw at the Ivory Dragon that's flying towards us. I fire it with all of my remaining energy and blast the guymelef. The blow strikes Escaflowne in the chest, but is too weak to do any damage. Dilandau swiftly turns and knocks the mecha aside.
"Get out of here Migel! Go to the Vione! Folken's ordered our return, I'll join you shortly!" Dilandau yells at me. He blocks a sword thrust from Van.
I hesitate briefly, then comply with Dilandau's orders. I maximize my energist's energy to power my Alseides into the air. After managing to become airborne, I finally I manage to glance back. Dilandau is still on the ground battling the damned Van Fanel. I stop and hover.
Suddenly Escaflowne smacks the red Alseides square in the chest, sending it crashing into the water. Get up, Dilandau, don't fail me.
Dilandau doesn't move. I feel a surge of fear course through my veins. Quickly I make my decision. I turn around swiftly then dive full force into the fray.
Not bothering to shift from flying mode I crash into Escaflowne before Van has time to react. His guymelef falls into the water, sending a heavy spray into the air.
"Migel! What the fuck are you doing?" Dilandau's voice comes screaming over the intercom.
"Go Dilandau-sama! I'll be right behind you!" I yell back. Adrenaline is pounding through my veins. Van won't stay pinned for long.
"You better be Labariel, or I'll personally kill you!" Dilandau replies. He rises into the air. His unit is severely damaged. He'll be lucky to get back to the Vione.
I leap off of Escaflowne's chest and fly upward. Suddenly my Alseides begins to shake uncontrollably. I feel myself losing altitude. The controls freeze and the dashboard goes blank. Shit.
"Migel!" Comes Dilandau's strangled cry.
"I've lost control. It's all right!" I yell back to Dilandau. The ground's coming up awfully fast. Shit that looks hard.
"I'm not losing one of my men!" Dilandau screams back. I almost laugh. Dilandau can't help me. I know that and he knows that. Hopefully he'll accept it. We don't need any kamikaze heroics.
"Zaibach needs you. Please go Dilandau-sama. The other's need you," I yell back with that foreign calmness that I'd experienced at the beginning of this accursed battle.
"Migel, don't you give up, and that's an order!" Dilandau yells to me. His voice tells me of his decision. Oh gods, he's actually going to go back to the Vione. I know that's the right decision. Shit, I don't want to be alone right now.
…"Hurry up! I'll leave you Ryan, I swear I will!"…
"Yes Sir!" I whisper. With that the ground smacks me with impossible force and the world fades away.
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