Title: The Fanels - Varia
Author: Ashley
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or any of the characters therein. But you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and the course it takes.
Dedication: Again, this goes to anyone who takes the time to say anything. Thanks!
Summery: A sequel to Angel Watching Over Me, but it kind of stands on its own, too. So you don't have to read the other to understand this one, but it will tell you how Van and Hitomi got together. It follows their children. There'll be three stories, one for each of the kids. If anyone likes this, I might do other Escaflowne families, as well.
In case it helps to clear up the story, here are the ages of the main "cast":
Alecs-19
Kenny-18
Varia and Emmy-17
Drake and Romy-16
Lorna-15
Ollie-8
Chapter Two
~*~*~*~*~*
The actual trip to Austoria was uneventful. The messenger had made it well before the three, so they were expected. A waiting carriage took them to the Austorian palace where Eries and Allen met them. Millerna and Dryden were busy, occupied with the duties of running a prospering kingdom.
Eries spoke first as the teens stood before her in the foyer. There was a comfortable air around the group, as they had often spent time together over the years. "I'm sorry your parents had to leave so suddenly. Is everything all right?"
Kenny, being the oldest, was the one to answer. "We don't really know much. They woke us early this morning, and said that there was something they had to do. Then they left, and we came here. That's all we know."
"Mother said they'd explain more when they came back." Varia added, deciding not mention the blue light she'd seen from her window. Apparently, n one else had noticed. It would do no good for them to know now; everyone would only worry more.
"Well, we are delighted to have you all here." Eries smiled gently. "I know the children will be pleased when they hear you've arrived. They've been talking of nothing else all morning. I could barely convince them to settle down to their studies instead of rushing off to meet you."
Whatever she was about to say was interrupted as a commotion started down one of the side halls. Looking past the servants that had begun to remove the visitors' luggage to their rooms, everyone strained to see what was going on. Suddenly, three slightly breathless girls piled into the room.
Romy, Lorna, and Emmy hurriedly composed themselves, straightening the folds of their dresses with nimble fingers. Varia hid a smile as she saw Eries raise an eyebrow at her daughter and nieces. Emmy stepped forward to meet her mother, the expression on her pale face earnest.
"You asked us to wait here until they arrived instead of meeting them as we wanted to. Can you honestly admit that you didn't know we'd come running as soon as they got here?"
"No, I guess I can't . . . although I didn't expect you to act on your words so literally."
Emmy flushed slightly at her mother's gentle rebuke. When Allen finally lost the battle with the humor of the situation, his deep chuckle filled the room. Emmy glared at him, tucking a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind one ear.
"I think that's our cue to beg leave, gentleman." He raised both hands before him, palms outward, as though warding off a blow. "Shall we remove ourselves to the training yard?"
He didn't wait for an answer; merely left the room with haste, trailed by the Fanel boys. Eries soon excused herself as well, heading off to check on her youngest daughter. Olivia, better known as Ollie, had inherited her Aunt Millerna's curiosity and her father's fearlessness. One could never leave her alone too long because she had a habit of disappearing for stretches of time should she find a way to slip away from her watchers. At the tender age of eight, she already had half the palace guards keeping special watch for her.
As soon as the four teenaged girls were alone, they crowded together. Varia smiled to herself. There was nothing like girl time. Being the only female under the age of twenty in the Fanelian royal family, she was always glad when she got to visit with her friends. It was almost as good as having sisters of her own.
Linking arms, they wandered their way outside. Though they didn't know it, they made an impressive sight. Emmy, with her light hair shining, stood out in the group of brunettes, but was by no means the only attraction. Romy's mahogany hair gleamed with rich, red highlights; Varia's was shades lighter, the color of chocolate. Lorna rounded out the group, her hair that shade between blonde and brown that defied definition.
As they caught up on the latest gossip, they found themselves near the training yard. Metal striking metal rang out, followed by grunts and shouts of encouragement from onlookers. Not breaking their connection, they wound their way through the crowd that had gathered to watch.
The girls paused at the edge of the field, their words fading as they, too, were caught up in the match. The first warrior forced his opponent back with a wide swing of his sword. Thrust, parry, jab; his blade moved so quickly that it could barely be seen. The afternoon sun beat upon his head, bouncing off like the golden sparks that flew as metal met metal once more.
Varia felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched the two boys fight. Neither was much older than she was, though they were both already highly skilled. She knew both of them well enough to recognize them by their movements alone. The first, more offensive fighter, was Emmy's older brother, Alecs. The second was Gerald, son of a close family friend. It was well known that the two were close friends, and that they were the best swordsmen of their ages.
As she watched them continue to practice, Varia became aware of a tightening in her chest. It was becoming a chore to draw in air. Each flash of sunlight on steel seemed to pierce her eyes. The sounds of the crowd beat against her eardrums, causing her wince. The edges of her vision began to mist over, making it seem as though the world were closing in on her.
She tightened her grip on Emmy and Romy's arms, trying to get their attention, but unable to speak. Dimly she heard someone say her name, but the sound was soon drowned out by a buzzing noise. It filled her ears, washing over her like a wave of angry insects. The last thing she felt was a strange weakness as her knees sagged beneath her.
Then came the darkness.
She was alone in a cold blackness, where there was no difference between up and down. Varia spun around, trying to find something, anything that might be a way out. But there was nothing.
As she continued to stare desperately into the darkness, she heard a voice calling her name. She didn't recognize it, but it spoke to something inside her. It summoned; she longed to obey.
There was no warning. One second she was alone, the next she could feel a presence behind her. Before she could move, steely hands wrapped themselves around her neck and began to squeeze.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Two questions for people smarter than me:
Does anyone know Allen's full name? Like Allen ______ Schezar the ______ .
I know I knew it before, but I can't remember. Urrggh!! I hate it when that happens!
And how old was Dryden during the series? I can't remember that, either.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Author: Ashley
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or any of the characters therein. But you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and the course it takes.
Dedication: Again, this goes to anyone who takes the time to say anything. Thanks!
Summery: A sequel to Angel Watching Over Me, but it kind of stands on its own, too. So you don't have to read the other to understand this one, but it will tell you how Van and Hitomi got together. It follows their children. There'll be three stories, one for each of the kids. If anyone likes this, I might do other Escaflowne families, as well.
In case it helps to clear up the story, here are the ages of the main "cast":
Alecs-19
Kenny-18
Varia and Emmy-17
Drake and Romy-16
Lorna-15
Ollie-8
Chapter Two
~*~*~*~*~*
The actual trip to Austoria was uneventful. The messenger had made it well before the three, so they were expected. A waiting carriage took them to the Austorian palace where Eries and Allen met them. Millerna and Dryden were busy, occupied with the duties of running a prospering kingdom.
Eries spoke first as the teens stood before her in the foyer. There was a comfortable air around the group, as they had often spent time together over the years. "I'm sorry your parents had to leave so suddenly. Is everything all right?"
Kenny, being the oldest, was the one to answer. "We don't really know much. They woke us early this morning, and said that there was something they had to do. Then they left, and we came here. That's all we know."
"Mother said they'd explain more when they came back." Varia added, deciding not mention the blue light she'd seen from her window. Apparently, n one else had noticed. It would do no good for them to know now; everyone would only worry more.
"Well, we are delighted to have you all here." Eries smiled gently. "I know the children will be pleased when they hear you've arrived. They've been talking of nothing else all morning. I could barely convince them to settle down to their studies instead of rushing off to meet you."
Whatever she was about to say was interrupted as a commotion started down one of the side halls. Looking past the servants that had begun to remove the visitors' luggage to their rooms, everyone strained to see what was going on. Suddenly, three slightly breathless girls piled into the room.
Romy, Lorna, and Emmy hurriedly composed themselves, straightening the folds of their dresses with nimble fingers. Varia hid a smile as she saw Eries raise an eyebrow at her daughter and nieces. Emmy stepped forward to meet her mother, the expression on her pale face earnest.
"You asked us to wait here until they arrived instead of meeting them as we wanted to. Can you honestly admit that you didn't know we'd come running as soon as they got here?"
"No, I guess I can't . . . although I didn't expect you to act on your words so literally."
Emmy flushed slightly at her mother's gentle rebuke. When Allen finally lost the battle with the humor of the situation, his deep chuckle filled the room. Emmy glared at him, tucking a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind one ear.
"I think that's our cue to beg leave, gentleman." He raised both hands before him, palms outward, as though warding off a blow. "Shall we remove ourselves to the training yard?"
He didn't wait for an answer; merely left the room with haste, trailed by the Fanel boys. Eries soon excused herself as well, heading off to check on her youngest daughter. Olivia, better known as Ollie, had inherited her Aunt Millerna's curiosity and her father's fearlessness. One could never leave her alone too long because she had a habit of disappearing for stretches of time should she find a way to slip away from her watchers. At the tender age of eight, she already had half the palace guards keeping special watch for her.
As soon as the four teenaged girls were alone, they crowded together. Varia smiled to herself. There was nothing like girl time. Being the only female under the age of twenty in the Fanelian royal family, she was always glad when she got to visit with her friends. It was almost as good as having sisters of her own.
Linking arms, they wandered their way outside. Though they didn't know it, they made an impressive sight. Emmy, with her light hair shining, stood out in the group of brunettes, but was by no means the only attraction. Romy's mahogany hair gleamed with rich, red highlights; Varia's was shades lighter, the color of chocolate. Lorna rounded out the group, her hair that shade between blonde and brown that defied definition.
As they caught up on the latest gossip, they found themselves near the training yard. Metal striking metal rang out, followed by grunts and shouts of encouragement from onlookers. Not breaking their connection, they wound their way through the crowd that had gathered to watch.
The girls paused at the edge of the field, their words fading as they, too, were caught up in the match. The first warrior forced his opponent back with a wide swing of his sword. Thrust, parry, jab; his blade moved so quickly that it could barely be seen. The afternoon sun beat upon his head, bouncing off like the golden sparks that flew as metal met metal once more.
Varia felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched the two boys fight. Neither was much older than she was, though they were both already highly skilled. She knew both of them well enough to recognize them by their movements alone. The first, more offensive fighter, was Emmy's older brother, Alecs. The second was Gerald, son of a close family friend. It was well known that the two were close friends, and that they were the best swordsmen of their ages.
As she watched them continue to practice, Varia became aware of a tightening in her chest. It was becoming a chore to draw in air. Each flash of sunlight on steel seemed to pierce her eyes. The sounds of the crowd beat against her eardrums, causing her wince. The edges of her vision began to mist over, making it seem as though the world were closing in on her.
She tightened her grip on Emmy and Romy's arms, trying to get their attention, but unable to speak. Dimly she heard someone say her name, but the sound was soon drowned out by a buzzing noise. It filled her ears, washing over her like a wave of angry insects. The last thing she felt was a strange weakness as her knees sagged beneath her.
Then came the darkness.
She was alone in a cold blackness, where there was no difference between up and down. Varia spun around, trying to find something, anything that might be a way out. But there was nothing.
As she continued to stare desperately into the darkness, she heard a voice calling her name. She didn't recognize it, but it spoke to something inside her. It summoned; she longed to obey.
There was no warning. One second she was alone, the next she could feel a presence behind her. Before she could move, steely hands wrapped themselves around her neck and began to squeeze.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Two questions for people smarter than me:
Does anyone know Allen's full name? Like Allen ______ Schezar the ______ .
I know I knew it before, but I can't remember. Urrggh!! I hate it when that happens!
And how old was Dryden during the series? I can't remember that, either.
Thanks in advance for any help.
