Okay I don't own Escaflowne or any of the characters, yadda yadda. The story and my orginal characters are the only ones that belong to me. Okay?

*****
Tati bit his lip to keep the tears from coming as he fingered the blue stone. The pendant was cool in his hand as he put it close to his heart. "Why? Why all this now?!"

A cautious tap on his back made Tati whirl around , and was relieved when he saw it was only Hitomi and the others. "Tati, why are you crying?"

Tati wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "Some dust got in my eyes, that's all. Did you find Kaze's gift yet?"

Hitomi shook her head in disappointment. "No, we were ready to give up-hey, what's that in your hand?"

Tati hesitated, but then reluctantly let a pendant with a blue stone swing from his hand. Hitomi gasped at it's beauty. The stone had white streaks in it, and as the pendant twirled, it was like watching the wind blow the clouds across the sky. The chain itself was made of intricate links that made the pendant decisively masculine. "Wow...it's beautiful."

Hitomi turned to old man running the booth. "Excuse me, how much is this pendant?"

The man turned from another customer, and inspected the pendant. "Oh, that? Five pieces of gold."

Hitomi blinked several times as she leaned towards the man. "Excuse me? I must be hearing things. I thought you said five pieces of gold."

"I did. No one else wants to buy the darned thing. Something about it being cursed by the draconians. I don't believe any of that crap, but apparently some people hold tight to past myths."

Hitomi smiled. "I don't believe any of it either. I'll buy it from you."

As Hitomi handed the money to the merchant, Tati asked breathlessly, "Hitomi, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm buying the pendant for Kaze. It would be a perfect birthday gift for him."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, this pendant looks like the wind blowing, and..."

"And what?"

"..and 'Kaze' is the Japanese word for 'Wind'."

"Japa-what?"

"Japanese. It's the language Kaze and I speak on the Mystic Moon."

Tati looked at her curiously. "You speak a different language there? Then how do understand what we're saying here?"

Hitomi shrugged. "I guess because of my psychic abilities."

"I see. What about Kaze?"

Hitomi opened her mouth to answer, but became troubled. "I honestly don't know..."

*****
Kaze involuntarily rubbed his hand against a tree as he passed by it. He abruptly stopped and stared at the bark that had fallen off. He watched the wind blow it away, causing brown specks to skitter across the forest floor. Why? he thought Why did I offer my inexperience to help in act that might lead to the possibility of this entire destruction of this picturesque world? Why must I fight, though my heart is closed to the challenge?

"...you must listen to me very carefully. You are younger than most, but I have chosen you as one of the few who defend and protect, for it is natural to you. It is in your blood, my young charge, no matter how much the others may deny it...

Kaze jerked back his aching head in shock. Whoa...where did that come from? Something..something from my past?

Kaze shook his head, dumbfounded, and started to walk towards the palace. He stumbled and almost fell over a old tree root sticking out in the path. "What the?!"

While cursing silently, he inspected the rootlet and realized it was actually long wooden staff. It felt comfortable in his hands, and he twirled and parried around with his newfound weapon, whistling a incomprehensible tune. Yes, I know now how and why I must fight...

*****
The sound of the door creaking open awakened Queen Karie from her fitful nap. The sound of flapping wings coming near her cage alarmed the queen, and she hissed at the flying figure as it came into her view. "You!!"

Trai grinned evilly at the queen's astonishment. "Hello, my dear Karie. And how are we feeling today?"

Karie glared at him with disgust . "You traitor!! How dare you show your face again!!"

Trai laughed humorlessly. "You haven't changed a bit, Karie. Awww, my poor little sister-in law, when did we lose the love between us?"

Karie scoffed appallingly. "You beast!! You kill my husband, your own brother; and you impose your will on my lady-in-waiting, causing her to bear child!! And you wonder why I despise you? You treacherous snake!!"

"Now, now!! Such language from royalty; from the Queen of all Kaneh!! I hope your disciples didn't hear those words you just spat at me."

"Their feelings are the same as mine; they loathe you for all that you've done!!"

Trai stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Is that so? That's funny, because I adore all of them. But not as much as I adore you."

Before Karie could protest, Trai pulled her hand out of the cage and kissed it deeply. "I loved you so much, but you only had eyes for my stepbrother. Matthias was the luckiest man on Gaea. He had his heavenly queen and a ample daughter."

Trai sighed in pleasure at that point. "Ahhhhh...the princess of Kaneh. She is the spitting image of Matthias, but she has your lively feminine spirit. That's why you are here; I'm going to get what you didn't let my son have."

Karie recoiled in fear, causing Trai's smile to widen. "Oh my dear Karie, are you surprised how I knew about Adrian?! How you stopped rumors about his heritage, but still kept your precious daughter away from my illegitimate son?! How the princess almost died because of her love for him?! How you did not bother to search for him after he disappeared?! Yes, I know all about your "kind" acts. Now you must be punished for them!!"

Trai shook the queen's cage once in anger before he flew down and back out of the room. Karie breathed one haggard gasp before she began to quietly weep.

*****
Kenji did not know what the famed Hitomi looked like; he only heard how she helped save Gaea. But he presumed that she was with Merle.

He smiled involuntarily as his horse galloped through the streets. He thought of Merle as an older sister, for she had befriended him when his parents died. He vowed to protect her with his life to repay that great debt to her.

"Kenji, over here!!"

Kenji turned to see Merle waving to him from a few meters away. Deciding to scare her a little a bit, Kenji stood up on his still moving horse and launched off it's back, completing a double back-flip in mid air before landing a few feet in front of Merle.

Merle, who had her eyes covered the whole time, now sternly reprimanded his actions. "You cad!! You almost made me jump out of my fur!!"

Kenji gave her sad puppy dog eyes and made his bottom lip tremble. "I'm sorry big sister. Will you ever forgive me?"

Merle playfully punched his arm, giggling. "Don't do that, Kenji. You make me feel like I did something wrong. Of course, I forgive you, but that really scared me."

Kenji kissed her furry cheek in a brotherly fashion. "Don't worry, I've practiced that trick a million times. Star has learned how he should gallop with me standing on his back, and he wouldn't let anything happen to me. He's a good horse. Merle, Lord Van wants you to return to the palace to prepare for tonight's tournament."

"Excuse me, but what tournament?" asked a gentle voice behind Kenji. He turned and saw a cheerful young woman dressed in unusual clothes. "Oh! You must be the Hitomi from the Mystic Moon. Lord Van and Sister Merle often talk about you and what you did for Gaea. I am Kenji, King Van's ward. His majesty wanted me to find you, for he wishes to speak to you and your friends before Fanelia's warrior contest."

Millerna clasped her hands together in excitement. "Oh, how wonderful!! I haven't attended one of those in such a long time. Hitomi, we must buy you an outfit for the occasion for you!"

Hitomi threw her hands up in protest. "Millerna, why can't I just one of your dresses like before?"

"Because I only brought maternity clothes with me. So let's go, before it's too late."

Merle pushed Joshu towards Millerna, smiling mischievously. "Millerna, please get something for Joshu as well. He can't wear that tattered suit forever."

Seeing the stricken look on the cat-boy's face, Kenji laughed and shook his head. "No, I help him look for clothes. If you got him something, it would no doubt be covered in frills. Sister, do you mind bringing Star back to the palace?"

"Sure, but if Joshu isn't dressed properly, don't expect anymore favors from me!!"

"Fine. See you later!!"

Tati grabbed Star's reins and turned to Merle. "Come on, Merle. I think we both need to get ready for tonight too."