~Remember I don't own Escaflowne or its characters!~
~Alright this chapter involves a mysterious woman who is obviously a
guardian of the dark forest~
~Hope you'll enjoy it and please remember to R&R after your done reading!~









The Fate of Two Worlds
By Angels Wings

Chapter 19 ~ Guardian of the Forest

~ 'Spirit Trees' ~
As the girl of brunette locks stared at the beautiful angel woman she felt
a realization dawn on her and she shook with surprise.....The seeress
couldn't believe who the woman was.....she was the woman who had been
within her vision of the ancient temple within the Mystic Valley. She had
been one of the seven statues that had surrounded the sculpture of the
Queen of the Draconians...... Even the bow the warrior held was the same as
it was on the stone figure.......But, why was she trying to kill them? The
thoughts dwelling within the brunette girl's mind began to fade away as she
watched the arrow of light come towards her heart.....

Time was going in slow motion..... Hitomi was frozen in fear as the arrow
of shining light streamed through the air like a comet. The only sound was
the hissing of the arrow slicing through the air at her heart. Green
emeralds eyes reflected the light coming from the deadly item heading
towards her.

Van yelled his lover's name as he desperately tried to toss himself in
between the seeress and the arrow, but he was too far away to reach her in
time. His heart seemed to stop as he discovered he would never make it....
The young king watched in horror as the arrow grew only closer to its
target......

Gasps came from the people as they watched the arrow pierce through flesh.
Hitomi's eyes widen as she stared into the back of her soldier, Resshi.
Since the soldier was several inches taller than the seeress the arrow
didn't pierce his heart, but did hit just below it. Blood slowly trickled
from the wound and dripped down his clothing soaking the material in its
dark liquid..... The man clenched his teeth against the pain and fell to
his knees.

Hitomi felt her world tumbling out of control......It was happening
again......another soul was being taken because they had wanted her......
The image of her grandfather taking the blade for her played through her
mind......

"Grandfather....." Hitomi whispered sadly remembering the pain of the
memory.......... The man stood before his granddaughter as the blood
penetrated through his flesh through his back and dripped with blood. As
the sword was removed the man winced in undescribable pain. Slowly the man
dropped onto his stomach and his wings fell limp. Those brilliant white
wings dulled to a dark gray as the old man's life slowly slipped away.
Hitomi crawled to the man and upon seeing his face she felt her soul tear
in half. JASPER!!!!!!!!!!!

No!......She would not let another soul be taken away in place of her own
life!.....She had lost too many to let another be lost to death!.....Tears
of sparkling water ran down her cheeks as rage seared through her blood....

Breathing hard Resshi went to remove the light arrow, but the object
embedded in his flesh shined brightly blinding him and all other occupants
within the clearing. Within moments of the sudden light the arrow exploded
while it was still within the man's chest. The arrow of light shattered
into billions of tiny stars and cut through the poor man's skin. At the
sudden eruption the man felt a new wave of pain. He was shaken and fell to
the ground as the last of his strength left. As he laid upon the grass the
blades grew stiff as the blood dried on them.

Hitomi rushed to the man's side and she kneeled down to him as she shook
him lightly, "Resshi?.....Resshi?"

The man's eyes opened full of pain and he smiled at the woman, "I'm
alright, milady.... It's only a scratch.....a scratch......" His teeth
clenched hard together as more pain ran through his now weak body. A groan
of pain passed through Resshi's teeth as he blacked out from the pain.

The young seeress angrily glared up at the attacker as the woman in green
and gold clothing produced another arrow of glowing light. The woman
sneered at the brunette girl, "I might have missed my target, but you will
not escape me again....."

The woman carefully directed the point of the white arrowhead at the
kneeling girl. The seeress's emerald eyes sparked with anger ready to take
on anything she would throw at her, but soon the emotion washed away as a
figure rushed past her. Van swung his sword at the angel's bow striking it
hard enough so that her bow pointed off course at the last second before
the arrow soared out of the cook of the weapon. The arrow hissed past
Hitomi's pale ear causing her hair to lift a little by the rush of air.

The seeress jumped a little from the sudden closeness of the object and
tumbled onto her rear. She was rather startled by the sudden change and
glanced to where the arrow had landed. It had struck a nearby tree and
after a moment it exploded leaving a large hole within its dark bark. Her
emerald eyes shot up towards the two warriors watching them fight.

Van's blade pushed against the metal of the bow, but the weapon was strong
and didn't give in. With a triumph grin the woman pushed against the sword
with her weapon and the two fighters broke apart. Without waiting for the
man of raven hair to catch his breath the woman charged again and swung her
bow at him. Van had barely regained his footing when the gleaming weapon
had come swinging through the air. He had just enough time to dodge, but
his red shirt didn't evade the attack and was sliced from the sharp metal
of the bow.

The young royal glanced from his shirt to the gleaming bow held in the
woman's two hands. She held the bow like a sword almost....... Her hand
held the center of the bow, but when she swung she used it like a blade.
Carefully eyeing the metal of the bow Van noticed the very front of the
weapon had been sharpen to act just like a blade.

Because of the sharpen metal the weapon could be used in two different ways
during a fight. If the woman was a far distance from the target she would
use an arrow to attack, but if she was in close combat she could use the
sharp edge of the metal like a one edge sword. Only a truly advanced
opponent would know how to use such a weapon.....That meant Van was going
to not have an easy time fighting her.....

The brunette angel lunged at the man with the bow's point directed towards
his heart. Van snarled at her attack and carefully took a defensive stance.
At the last second the royal hit the blow away and soon the two were going
one on one in a ferocious fight.....

The group watched in horror as blow for blow were blocked. Neither of the
warriors could get a hit, but it was obvious that female had the advantage
for she continued to be on the offense while Van slowly backed away.
Several wanted to help in the fray, but the two fighters were in such close
proximity that intervening might cause the death of the young king. If one
swung while they were so close together the person intervening might hit
the king instead..... and that was not a risk anyone was willing to take so
the group watched with fearful eyes as Van struggled against his
opponent.....

Hitomi was trying her best to think straight. Her fear for her love was
pushing against her mind as she desperately tried to take control of the
situation. How could she get through to the woman to halt her attacks?.....
What could make her see that she was an allie?.......Hitomi's mind raced
through the prior vision of when she had been in the temple......What had
it said on the plaque about the woman?......She was the 'Warrior of the
Forest' who had died protecting the queen in a great battle,......but what
was her name?......

Van fell to the ground at the force of a strong blow. His sword flew from
his hands and fell to the ground straight down so that it stuck into the
earth a few feet behind the young royal's head. His fire eyes glared up at
the woman as she towered over him with her bow ready. A victorious grin
swept over her face as she brought her weapon over her head for the fatal
blow, "Now let me show the way to the afterlife....."

Hitomi's mind clicked as she saw the sharp bow come down from its position
to smite down her love. The seeress quickly stood causing her hair to swirl
around her face and shouted, "Sian, Enough!"

The woman's silver jewels grew wide at the words suddenly. The fatal bow
halted its descent only inches away from the man's face. The king stared at
the gleaming metal as it dwelled only a breath away from his flesh. The
woman's eyes stared through the corner of her eyes at the speaker. Hitomi
face was set in a scowl as she glared at the female warrior.

"Enough, Sian...." the girl repeated with a harsh voice.....

For several moments people wondered what the stranger would do. No one
budged or spoke as they waited in suspense for the woman to move. It was
when the bow withdrew from the young king did people begin to breath again.
Van breathed a sigh of relief as the blade moved away from his face and
came back to lay by the woman's side.

The woman turned her head slowly causing her long brunette braid to lift in a twirl. Hitomi and the
angel who was known as the Guardian of the Forest stared each other down in a stand off. Sian's
pale lips formed a frown as she glared hard at the seeress.

"How do you know that name?......" asked the woman, her voice no longer
held the rage that once dwelled there, but now it consisted of suspicion.
The group of friends watched Hitomi carefully also wondering how she could
possible know her.

The young seeress tried to muster as much courage into her voice as
possible. This woman was not to be taken lightly. She possibly would still
kill her after she told the war angel what she wanted to know so she wanted
to intimidate her and not show off her weakness.....

"I saw you in a vision....." the girl replied as the breeze lifted her hair
in a beautiful flow, "But you had been in the form of sculpture made of
stone within the confines of an ancient temple that is said to be in the
Mystic Valley......"

The woman showed no emotion in her eyes. Her features were blank and
unreadable. The brunette warrior had obviously trained herself not to show
a sign of what she felt.....There was no way for anyone to read her
thoughts.....

Sian backed away from the king who still laid on his back in the earth
allowing him to rise and rejoin the group. Her silver pools never drifted
from the seeress as the man came alongside a blonde man. The warrior
woman's mind was whirling with thoughts as she stared at the strange woman
who knew so much.....

Standing firm still staring at the girl of the Mystic Moon she asked a
single question, "If you know my name and what you say is true, then tell
me this.....how did I die?...."

A few people started at the fact that the woman exclaimed that she was
dead. This woman held a lot of life for a dead being. The group said
nothing though as they waited for Hitomi to answer. The girl thoughts ran
through the vision again and an image of the golden plaque danced before
her mind. The ancient words that held dust from age pierced her thoughts.

"You died protecting the queen in the Final Battle" the girl replied with a
few wisps of sorrow clinging in the words. Sian didn't move or speak, but
continued to stare at her...... thinking.....

Their eyes stayed locked in the stare. Both were challenging each other
trying to see what the other thought. Hitomi released her senses and let
them brush through the warrior's mind. Sian stiffened as she felt the girl
run her powers through her soul.

She glared at the seeress, "Do not invade my thoughts, woman!"

Hitomi started at this. How was she aware of her doing that? She had to
hold some sort of powers to sense her like that.......Powerful ones at
that.......

A thought crossed the angel girl's mind as the words echoed in her mind.
Slowly the girl withdrew her stance beside the fallen soldier and allowed
Queen Millerina to see to him. The blonde woman carefully ran her hands
over his pulse and checked how strong it was. The girl of brunette locks
stepped a few paces away from the two figures and stood in a empty spot in
the clearing. Hitomi looked into her opponents soul and spoke, "You don't
need to call me 'woman'........ I have a name....."

The woman with dancing silver jewels and white wings snorted, "Oh really!
Well what gracious name is that?"

Straighten her shoulders a little and trying her best to not look like a
immature teenager she sometimes considered herself she said proudly, "My
name......is Hitomi Kazanki, heir of the Draconian throne......"

The wall of unemotional features fell away in shock as the woman gaped at
the girl. Her voice barely could speak, "You couldn't be!....."

The woman's eyes sparked with danger, "How dare you take that name! Only
during the time of rebirth will the princess rise from the ashes and take
on the duty as heir....The time has not come and so you cannot be her!"

With the sudden surge of rage the woman's blade of the bow rose in the air
and she charged the seeress. Van, on seeing this, was about to intervene,
but when he saw Hitomi.....just standing there.... not even trying to
retreat....he looked into her eyes. She glanced at him and her gaze told
him to stay back. He clenched his teeth and glanced towards the attacker.
It was obvious the woman would not stop until the seeress was dead.....Van
gave another glance at Hitomi, but again her gaze said to stay back so he
stood with his back straight. He could barely contain his urge to rush
forward though......

The seeress watched the woman come straight towards her as her attacker
shouted her warrior cry. The guardian's dark braid jumped in the wind as
the woman rush across the grass. Her wings angled in a way as to give her
more speed as her bow gleamed from the light of their torches. Hitomi
clenched her teeth trying to hold back her fear.....She had to do this.....

The guardian who was an ace warrior continued to speed through the air as
the group watched in suspense at the scene. Hitomi carefully judged the
distance she would need between them and waited. Sian feet dug into the
soft earth bringing up small clouds of dust while the seeress watched with
careful eyes. The angel was growing extremely close, but Hitomi continued
to wait......."wait"....."wait for it"........When the woman was only a few
yards away Hitomi did something that surprised everyone. Without even
moving a muscle or flinching an inch the seeress unfurled her wings
releasing dozens of glowing white feathers. As her wings pierced through
the darkness a glow of bright light poured forth from her angel wings
brighten the area. At the sudden sight of the wings of pearl white people
gasped in awe. The guardian tried to stop, but was so surprised and held
such speed that she fell backwards and slid to the girl's feet. Her silver
jewels were wide as she stared in glory of the strange woman's wings from
her position at the girl's feet. Hitomi stared down at her with no
expression on her lips.

"I am who I say...." replied the girl of brunette locks as her eyes fell on
the woman, "If this is not proof enough then see the item passed down from
generation to generation from the royals of the Draconians....."

Her pale hand grasped the gold chain that laid beneath her track shirt and
brought a red teardrop from under the material. The tiny jewel of red blood
gave a soft glow bringing a red hue onto both of the two women's features.
Sian rose slowly at the sudden appearance of the pendant and stared at it
completely shocked. How could it be?.....The heir was not to arise until
the time of rebirth.........No it couldn't be........it wasn't time yet!...
or was it?.......

Sian stared at the woman lost in her thoughts. This woman had to be the new
queen for she held the sacred heirloom of the royal family......What if it
was the time of rebirth and she did not know it?.......Joutei, forgive her
for ever doubting the woman before her.....

Taking a sharp breath the guardian got to her knees and bowed down
honorable. Sian placed her bow on the ground showing a sign that she would
fight no longer. She closed her silver jewels and begged for forgiveness,
"Queen Hitomi, please forgive me for doubting you and for the attack upon
you and your friends....I should have realized it was you.....I am at your
mercy....."

Hitomi's let out the air that she had been holding. That moment of suspense
had nearly scared the life out of her. To watch yourself go head on against
death without even flinching was extremely difficult. She was a little
surprise that she hadn't faint from the ordeal.

Her emerald eyes looked down at the beautiful warrior with warm friendship,
"Sian, please rise...."

The woman did not remove herself from the ground, but continued her
position and spoke with a voice that almost cracked, "I cannot my mistress
for I have sinned against you........ I understand and await any punishment
you would desire to inflict upon me......"

Hitomi started a little, but tried to keep her gentle exposure. With a
stronger voice the seeress ordered "I command you to rise, Sian."

At this the warrior quickly rose, but as she stood before the royal angel
she refused to make eye contact and stared down at the ground. Hitomi felt
pity for her.....she was willing to do anything for her at the moment and
went so far as to ask for punishment......what would others do for her?....
Would they just be as willing to die for her like Resshi?.......

"Look into my eyes, Sian" the seeress asked as she tried to catch view of
the woman's silver pools.

"To look upon your face, my mistress, is not allowed for I have
disrespected you" the warrior spoke with a hint of disgust for herself. She
felt so dishonored for such senseless acts. She just couldn't bring herself
to look into the seeress's eyes. It was kind of like the feeling one got
when you were lying to someone and you couldn't look straight into their
eyes because of the guilt you held in your heart.

Hitomi smiled at the angel woman's loyal soul. She was a commendable
warrior and honorable guardian. The seeress took the woman's pale chin in
her warm hand and forced her face upward. Sian's eyes however refused to
look at her.

"Look into my eyes, Sian" the girl of brunette locks repeated. This time
the woman obeyed, but her gaze was shaky. She kept glancing away while
trying to force herself to look her queen in the eyes. Hitomi spoke with a
warm voice showing she showed no remorse to the woman, "Sian, I will not
punish you for a simple mistake.....How could you have known who I was?....
I never knew it myself until several days ago....."

Slowly Hitomi released the angel's chin, but neither broke the gaze. The
girl continued, "You are an admiral warrior who is obviously very loyal to
her royals......I have only come in search of knowledge for the next step
towards my destiny and it has led me here.....I have not come to call upon
you or your serves....."

The guardian glanced at the young raven king curiously and then turned back
to her queen. If her memory served her well then she knew what was
occurring. Her eyes widen as she thought of the woman's name.....Hitomi
Kazanki!.....How foolish she was! How did she not see?.....A smile crossed
over the warrior's lips and she stood proudly before her queen. The seeress
smiled back happy to see that the woman had changed attitude. Perhaps she
might know more about what was occurring......

"Sian" Hitomi began trying to find the words.

The guardian straighten a bit before she replied, "Yes, Queen Kazanki." The
warrior frowned when she saw a twist of revulsion passed over the other
woman's features for a moment. What was wrong?....

"Er....please Sian, call me Hitomi....." the brunette girl replied frankly,
"I'm still not quite use to the title.....in time perhaps I will become
more accustom to it....."

With a small nod Sian responded, "Of course...."

"What information could you give us for our quest?" the angel queen asked.

Sian turned towards the shadows and thought of what to say. What could she
say?......She couldn't say much for she knew the problems involved with
giving too much knowledge, but she needed to give something.....What would
Queen Iris tell her to do?...... Her bangs of brunette wisps lifted from a
breeze and she turned back to the group.

"I could tell you about the seven guardians....." she replied as her brain
calculated the dangers for speaking of such things....

"The seven guardians?" Hitomi muttered confused as always.

The brunette warrior gave a slight nod, "Yes, although the information will
be no help to you on your journey, I am afraid I have nothing else to hold
out to you....."

A smile of warmness passed over the seeress's face, "I'm sure that whatever
you give us will bring forth fruit in the future....."

The warrior stared into the woman's eyes with a knowing smile playing over
her lips, "Of course....."

Van walked over to Hitomi's side wanting to be close to her. The last
attack on her had brought shivers of fear through his body and he begged
for her presence again. As he came beside his lover her wings arched from
her back in a more comfortable matter. She wasn't quite ready to place her
wings back for they felt sore from the endless years of being buried
beneath the flesh of her back. The group slowly flowed closer to the front
wanting to hear every word.

The Guardian of the Forest gave a final glance at the group before starting
the tale of the seven warriors,.....

"Several years ago during the Final Battle when Queen Iris still reigned
and the Mystic Moon did not dwelled in the stars there was a group of
personal guards for the royal heir. For over seven generations the royal
family had kept a number of warriors to always guard their lives. It had
been a wise decision during the time, but it was a more important decision
during the time of Queen Iris reign for it was during that period when the
royal family's lives were at great risk. It was the time of the persecution
against the Draconians.....

The warriors were each picked for their different abilities and characters.
Usually the royals had no more than three protectors, but Queen Iris
initiated two more warriors because it was during such dangerous times. I
was one of the two that she promoted....

On the day of the Final Battle, Queen Iris called upon her army and her
five royal guards to make a final attack against Gaea in hope of the
survival of our people. Sadly the army fell and each of her guards died
before the setting of the sun. Queen Iris was captured and tortured shortly
after. She escaped, however, and brought forth the creation of the Mystic
Moon.

Dying from the ordeal the queen left her only child to reign, Princess
Rachelle. The princess took over as Queen and decided it was time to bring
her people to the safe haven of the new "Creation". Before leaving our home
world Queen Rachelle went to the world of the dead and brought back the
five souls of the royal guardians. She blessed them for their loyal duties
to her mother and sent them across the globe. Each one became a sacred
guardian of the world. Each had a special area in which they would forever
protect and reign until the period of rebirth."

Allen took a step towards the beautiful woman with a slight frown, "You
spoke of the rebirth before.....What do you mean when you say the rebirth?"

The woman turned to man with unemotional eyes and an unreadable face, "The
time when the heir will finally come back and proclaim herself as the one
destined....For the queen to once again to emerge openly....."

The blue eyed knight gave a nod of understanding and Sian relaxed a little
more. She had to remember these people were friends of the queen. These
people disturbed her though for they asked so many questions. Each had been
extremely inquisitive in their moment of exclusion with their dead love
ones. Now they proving to be just exactly curious as they were early when
lost in the fog.

The seeress turned away from the question the knight had asked and now
faced the warrior again, "You said there were seven guardians, but you have
spoken of only five in the story.....Who are the other two?"

Sian closed her eyes for a few moments remembering the time when she had
been promoted to this honorable duty. The face of the Queen Rachelle
lingered in her mind as she remembered what the royal had told each of
them. The guardian opened her eyes and stared into the new queen's eyes,

"Queen Rachelle promoted the five old warriors, but it was two other royals
who brought forth the last two guardians.

The sixth warrior was brought forth by King Nephi. He chose a draconian who
had been a world renowned hero on Gaea during the time of the absence of
our kind on that world. For you see, although the heirs of the royal family
dwelled on the Mystic Moon they forever watched over Gaea. Although they
had been driven from its lands by the beings there they knew that all of
the beings were creatures of Joutei and showed no remorse towards them. We
are not killers and haters....."

Hitomi's eyes stared down at the ground thinking about her mother. Her
family had always valued life with great care for like her mother always
would say, "A being is still a creature of God so do not kill for just
anger, revenge, or pure pleasure.....We are all creatures of God....and all
should be loved and treasured........" From the first day she had heard
that short speech Hitomi had never enjoyed watching a being die if it be
human or animal...it was still a life and she valued each life with
affection. Her thoughts brushed away as she returned her focus on the
tale.....

"The seventh warrior was brought forth by one of the more previous
Queens......I do not recall her name though for she did not bring forth the
newest guardian except a few years ago after her death....."

The young angel king was a little surprised by this, "What do you mean
'after her death'?"

The beautiful speaker shook her head to remove the short brown bangs from
her eyes causing her braid to dance, "I mean exactly what I said......After
the queen died she remained in the heavens until the death of the warrior.
He had done a great deed that had led to his death and therefore the queen
looked upon him highly. She gave him the choice of becoming a guardian and
he gladly accepted the gracious offer.....Who wouldn't?"

Millerina smiled at the guardian as she held Resshi's head in her lap,
"That's a remarkable tale......so its obvious from seeing you that the
seven guardians still reign."

Sian nodded with a warm smile, "Yes, we have guarded our areas for many
years and have kept the peace amongst the groups in our lands."

"So your land is the 'Spirit Trees'?" asked Celena curiously as she eyed
the vast surroundings of shadows and tall monstrous trees. Sian noticed the
blonde lady glancing around her personal forest and smiled.

"Yes and no, Lady Celena" she replied as she swept a hand towards the
towers of dark bark, "I guard the land around the forest also where several
small villages lie. The forest you know as the 'Spirit Trees' is a legend
dwelling within my border. My queen was a close friend of mine and thought
me best to watch over the forest. It was just an added blessing.....and I
am very grateful she chose me for the duty....I use the forest as my base
of operation and oversee...... or as some villagers like to call my
personal dwelling place....."

Soon several spotlights of sunshine began to peak between the tall branches
of the trees showing the coming of the dawn. Sian lifted her head in the
beautiful light enjoying the feel of its warmth that she loved so. Her
silver pools blinked at the growing light before turning her attention back
to the group, "I believe all the other guardians were given similar
legendary parts of lands."

Van took a step forward, "Why were the guardians given these lands in
particular?"

The war woman turned to the ebony headed man, "You see each of these lands
were where the remainder of the Draconians on Gaea lived....they were the
ones who chose to stay on this world when our people went to the 'World of
Creation'. The villages of our kind were in fights and battles amongst
themselves. Our queen hated to watch our people fighting so she sent the
guardians down to bring forth peace to each group. Each warrior in each
land brought peace and blessings by their own personal skills to their
lands through small period of times.

I was chosen for the 'Spirt Trees' for I was a supreme warrior and merciful
opponent. The land was running with lost souls and vicious people. I went
to the villages and brought a truce between the towns by showing them there
is strength in numbers. I showed them if they united together and become a
group within these lands than they could grow, prosper, and lose less
people."

Sian's cheeks gave off a slight blush, "I am not that much of a diplomat,
but I am good with war strategies and saw it as another battle to be won.
Queen Iris told me after I had peace in the villages that I should have
been a ruler."

Hitomi smiled at the woman who appeared so young, but was hundreds of years
old. How amazing she looked for age....

The seeress glanced at the deer hiding within the brush of the forest that
now shone in the morning sunlight. The gentle fog still continued to run
along the forest floor a forever reminder that more than those peaceful
creatures lived there.

Hitomi turned to the warrior again, "So you were chosen to watch over this
forest because all the dead warriors come to live out eternity here....."

Silver eyes sparkled, "You are clever, Hitomi. Yes, I was also chosen for
this place for that fact, too. I forever train alongside other warriors
teaching them skills and technics. It is a hobby I have grown very fond of
for I am a warrior and even though war is not welcomed it is the only way
for my blood to sing with the thrill of the battlefield....."

It was Van who stepped forward and spoke this time with a smile, "I can
understand what you mean......Every time I go into battle I enjoy the
rush.....I sometimes miss those days when I battled in the 'Great War'...."

Sian gave a warm smile of understanding to the king. His heart was of a
warrior.....not a royal.....no wonder he was known to detest royal
matters.....

Hitomi stepped forward to the woman while she bit her lip, "May I ask
something of you, Sian?"

"Of course....anything....."the war woman replied with a respectful voice
as she stood a little taller.

Hitomi looked in the eyes of the dead guard of her family and said, "Come
with me and be the guardian for the royal family again......"

Sian sighed heavily as she closed her light colored eyes. Of all things to
ask for.....

"I cannot....." she replied sadly keeping her eyes closed, "Upon taking
this role I was too never leave my border. To do so will strip me of my
title and another will take my spot. We, the guardians, pledged ourselves
to our separate lands to uphold them until the time came when we would be
called back to heavens...."

Hitomi looked down at the ground sadden that she could not join them. The
seeress was not worried about her safety, but to have her close by would be
a comfort. She could have at least kept an eye out for her close friends.
The woman would also have been a good comrade and Hitomi gladly welcomed a
friendship with her.

Upon opening her silver pools Sian saw the sadness in her queen's eyes and
quickly said, "Forgive me, my Queen, but if I could I would welcome the
duty of serving you...."

The seeress's emerald eyes lifted from their view of the floor, "That's
quite alright, Sian.... I understand..... I should have known you could not
leave your lands...... it is just that these times disturb me and I fear
for my friends....."

Sian stared deep into the woman's eyes and Hitomi felt a spark of
confidence pour forth from her. Looking into the guardian's soul she heard
Sian say, "Do not fear, Hitomi, for I believe you will be able to protect
them......you are strong and hold a kind heart.....in the end they will
still be there standing by your side....."

Hitomi blinked away the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes,
"Thank you...."

It was at that moment that those two woman formed a strong bond between
each other. Their hearts both shared a deep respect for the other and they
looked upon the other highly. Something within their souls had clicked
together and now they saw something that others could not. They knew that
this was the start of special friendship that would forever hold.

Their pale hands came together in a firm handshake as they continued to
look into each other's eyes that were filled with respect. Their identical
hair lifted with the breeze and the two smiled with the joy they felt
within their souls. White glowing feathers brushed around them in the flow
of air gently. Their wings of matching white glow sparkled in the new
sunshine as they tried to forever remember that moment for all eternity....

Hitomi's eyes sparkled with tears and she did her best to hold them back as
she spoke, "We have to take our leave of you now, Sian.....I hope you have
a wonderful afterlife here as you guard your land....."

The war woman nodded her thanks, "And I hope your journey brings the peace
that your soul seeks, Hitomi. May Joutei smile upon you....."

"And you...." the seeress whispered as their hands let go and the group
turned to exit the forest. Hitomi waited a few moments while she gave a
final glance at her new comrade before turning away and following her
friends. The sparkling wings protruding from the queen's flesh silently
returned to the pouches within her back as her feet walked over the forest
grass that hid beneath the low fog. With her pale hands Sian strapped the
gold and silver weapon to her back. As her hands fell away from the bow the
guardian watched with sad eyes as the people began to leave her home.....
Probably never to return....

"Wait, Hitomi!" the warrior shouted as she trotted up to the group with her
silver and gold bow on her back. The group stopped and glanced back at the
running woman. Hitomi turned with a small smile as she faced the royal
guardian. As Sian raced over to the angel woman her brunette braid bounced
lightly. When she reached Hitomi she slowed to a stop and looked at the
woman kindly, "I wish to share something with you before you go...."

The seeress smile widen a little at the friendly gesture, "What is it?"

Sian looked deep into the girl's emerald eyes showing her soul, "I want to
show you how I died...."

A slight frown of confusion fell on Hitomi's face, "Why do you wish to show
me that?"

The warrior bit her lip wondering how she could explain to her why she
needed to do this. Slowly her words formed, "I was a warrior who lived my
life protecting the royal and in that war I lost a great deal.....I want to
show you that I have also had a great loss and understand your painful
experience....."

"All you need to do is say that you do....." responded the seeress as she
looked at the woman, "You need not prove it to me...."

The woman shook her head making her braid dance behind her, "Yes, I do.....
It is hard to believe someone when they say they understand something
totally impossible......I want you to be able to truly believe that I
do....."

Hitomi stared at the woman for several seconds in silence. She understood
what the woman said. Ever since the Mystic Moon was destroyed she had felt
unable to be understood by her friends. They could never truly understand
the pain and suffering she had gone through..... They had never lost a
entire world and all their people in a single heartbeat........

With a small nod Hitomi allowed the woman to proceed. Sian stared into
Hitomi's emerald pools and slowly whispered, "Look deep into my eyes and
see what was my fate........ as so many others' so long ago......"

The group watched as the two woman locked their gazes into a mystical
trance. The slight breeze that traveled through the branches picked up and
caused the trees to whistle sharply. The wind teased the two woman's hair
lifting it in the flow. Their clothes fluttered against their skin as the
wind grew a little stronger. Several feathers from Sian's glowing wing flew
into the air and swirled into the sky. Although the group of people moved
and whispered at the sudden increase of wind both of the angel women
remained silent and motionless......lost in another world.....


~Vision~
Hitomi stood in a field of rich green grass and sweet wind. Water of
crystal clear liquid was filled with large fish that leaped in and out of
the water. Colorful insects with brilliant wings like butterflies flew from
honeysuckle to violets that bloomed through the field. There was a peaceful
silence that played through the green blades as no other soul stood within
its beautiful paradise......

It was a beautiful area that was filled with glory, but in seconds the
field was soon covered with warriors and the beauty was lost. Feet pounded
the earth stamping down the rich grass and fragrant filled flowers. The
swinging of blades caused the gentle insects to take to the air. Blood
spilt into the water polluting the clear liquid. The scent of death filled
the air causing a foul aroma. The clashing of metal ringed through the air
disturbing any dwellers to flee. Dozens of guymelefs swarm the field
picking off the angels.....

The young seeress stood within the hundreds of bodies that were rushing
into each others. The dead littered the ground as blood poured from their
fatal wounds. All around her bodies fell and blood was spilt. The scent....
oh, the dreadful scent.....how it reeked and tore at her nostrils..... The
scene was so horrible that it made Hitomi want to gag........it sent
dreadful nausea into her system and she clenched her stomach as she doubled
over. The terrible cries that filled the air only brought more disgusting
tastes to her dry tongue.....Oh, how could anyone enjoy such horrible
scenes?!......

Fighting down the horrible feeling inside in her stomach the angel girl
turned her eyes back to the battle. Looking through the hundreds of
fighters she spotted the Queen of the Draconains standing with five guards
amongst the chaos. The fighters stood in a circle around the queen taking
on all challengers that came. The beautiful royal stood within the
protective area of the circle as she used her powers to help in the battle.
In the center of protectors stood the beautiful woman, Sian, who still wore
the same green and gold outfit.

Hitomi's knees felt like jelly from the nausea, but she forced them to work
and raced through the bloody battle towards the six figures. The angel girl
leapt over the dead and her feet splashed puddles of dark blood. Metal
swung through the air only inches away from her, but she paid it no heed.
This was a vision and it wasn't real.....although all her senses screamed
that it was......

As she made her way to the group she watched the five warriors keep the
enemy at bay. Sian stood closest to the queen picking off distant enemies
with her bow. If any warrior got past the other four guardians the woman
killed them with a swing of her bow. The queen watched the bloody fray with
painful eyes. The battle was the most terrible one that the Draconians had
ever faced.

The queen did what she could with her powers. She struck down the guymelefs
with her powers as much as possible, but she had to strain to keep taking
them down. She was using nearly all her energy just to use the powers so
she held no defense......Her guards were her only protection....

Just as Hitomi arrived at the circle of the guardians one of the warriors
fell from the swing of a sword and a rush of warriors surged through the
gap and flooded into the protected area. Sian fought violently trying her
best to hold back the wave of attackers, but there were far too many. The
three other warriors were forced to break the circle and take on the
enemies. Unfortunately it was all in vain for the breaking of the circle
forced them to leave no barrier to protect the queen and left them at a
disadvantage. Soon another guardian fell and therefore started the chain
reaction of all of the warriors' death. It was after that moment when the
warrior hit the earth that an attacker brought his sword to strike down the
queen. Iris was too weak from her constant use of her powers to escape the
blow and knew her life was at an end. Sian rushed to her queen's aid and
placed herself in between her and the attacker just as the blade came down.
The beautiful guardian fell to the ground as she took the hit from the
sword. The breath in her lungs stilled and her eyes became dull as the
queen stared down in shock at her friend. As her dear comrade's blood
formed a small pool the queen filled with rage and with unknown energy took
down the man with a swift swing of her own sword.

Sadly it was only a matter of time before the other two protectors fell and
the queen was taken as a captive. The woman's forest eyes stared at the
dead body of the fallen warrior, Sian, as she was dragged away from the
blood stained field. Death and murder ran through the field quickly as the
leader of the cursed beast was taken away. The Draconains were slaughter
across the green grass and few were able to escape and live. Tears poured
from her eyes as she lost sight of her close friend amongst what was left
of the raging battle......
~End of Vision~


Hitomi blinked several times as she realized she had returned to the
present. Sian watched her carefully trying to see if she had seen the
imagery that she had forced into the seeress's head. As the girl eyes
brimmed with tears the guardian knew she had seen it.....

"I understand...." Sian whispered to the young girl quietly. Hitomi looked
into the woman's eyes as the water blurred her vision. The girl's heart had
felt like it would tear in half from the extremely painful image.....

All Hitomi could whisper was, "I know....."


Sian watched as the Crusade slowly lifted from the gentle ground and began
to soar into the vast blue sky. The rush from the propellers of the metal
ship caused the woman's braid and clothes to flutter with the currents. Her
silver pools watched the sail ship float towards as she stared at the two
figures standing next to a large window. The angel lovers held each other
close as they watched through the glass at the warrior they were leaving
behind. The beautiful warrior smiled at her queen and whispered, "Until we
meet again.....Queen Hitomi Kazanki....."













~Alright! Onward towards the next marker on the journey! The next chapter
is gunna be awesome with some cool action so watch for updates! Next
chapter should be up by Wed. Or Thurs!~
~You got up close and personal with the Guardian of the Forest.~
~Okay hope you really enjoyed this chapter! Tell me your opinions! Just be
gentle! Remember this is my first ever fan fic after all!~