Date. 08.11.2001
Time. 2.04 pm
Music. Knight's Tale soundtrack
Chapter 11
Copyright. I don't own the Vision of Escaflowne or any of its characters.
Author's Notes. Hello! Yay, I can kinda get onto fanfiction.net now! Wheee! I've done so much stuff in the past... umm... whenever I left off. Shopping for my dorm, got henna on my hand, watched pretty much most of Cowboy Bebop... I have no life :( Anyhoo, on with the story!
The Vision of Escaflowne. Rota Fortunae
Chapter 11. Siya zazi
* * *
"What?" Hitomi whispered, her words stuck in her throat.
"It is true," Gaea said, smiling softly. "We are of the same bloodline. You are my great-granddaughter."
If she had been standing at the moment, Hitomi would have surely collapsed to the ground from the shock. Without looking, she sought Van's hand for comfort.
"I'm sorry not to ever tell you until now," she continued. "Your grandmother was never the same after the man gave her the pendant. When your mother was young, she would make up stories about the mysterious land she journeyed to. How, she continued to do so as she grew older. Your mother never believed in Gaea, so she did not tell you of your grandmother's experience."
"But some how, Grandma wanted to tell me," Hitomi thought aloud. "She gave me the pendant."
"She gave you the pendant because she knew you would come here one day," Gaea replied. "All three of you have an amazing clairvoyant power of predicting the future. She could somehow sense the greatness within you. Stronger than she or your mother."
"Greatness?" Hitomi snorted. "There's nothing so great about me. I'm as normal as anyone."
Gaea shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind Hitomi's ear. "But you're not, little one. You always known that there was something there... something important for you to do. You came here seven years ago and changed all the people that you met. You protected this world from seeing the destruction that Atlantis met from the hands of the enemy."
"But that was then," Hitomi said. "Why am I here again?"
"Because the same enemy wishes for the power of Atlantis again. But they have found another way to achieve it."
"How?" Van asked, unsure if he wanted to hear what Gaea said. He already had an idea in his mind of how to achieve it.
"Gaea was created on the basis of a wish. A very strong wish. That wish consisted of two items: the Atlantean and the stone in the pendant. The psychic power of the wish and the chemical balance within the rock cause a reaction that grants it."
Hitomi recalled the number of times when her pendant glowed as it reacted to something. Could it be that subconsciously she had wished something?
"There will be an eclipse in five days. Normally, that would not be anything special. But this one will center onto the Temple of Atlantis, residing within Mount Aslan. If, at that precise moment, an Atlantean, pure of heart, wearing the pendant and is standing in the circle where the eclipse focuses on, that person shall be the master of the power of Atlantis and peace shall rule over Gaea."
"That's why Zaibach wanted the pendant so bad," Van growled.
"But what if the person isn't Atlantean?" Hitomi asked, remembering that Ashira tore her necklace from her. "Just a normal person... or a Draconian?"
Gaea shuttered. "Day will become night. Chaos will endure. Famine will spread over the lands. Crops will die and the people will live in hatred and greed. Gaea will lose all of her power and die, thus slowly bringing the inhabitants to their deaths along with her."
"Can't you get the power once the eclipse happens?" Van asked.
"No. It must reside in a body, not a soul." She turned to Hitomi. "You are the only one capable of achieving this feat. The one destined to be the Lady of Atlantis."
"I don't believe in fate and predetermined destiny anymore. I gave up the Tarot cards once I returned to Earth years ago." She stared at the ground. "I changed too many lives that way."
"So you say," Gaea sat upon the root next to her. "Fate and free will go along side by side. You create your own path to follow, not the one that has already been laid out for you, correct?"
Hitomi nodded.
"There is an infinite number of paths that you could follow, all leading to a different outcome. You have the freedom to choose one and one alone. That path would be your destiny. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Hitomi nodded again, this time slower. "Kind of like a Wheel of Fortune, huh?"
Gaea smiled faintly. "Rota Fortunae," she said gently. "The path I spoke of is one of many different destinies. As I told you earlier, you could always go home to Earth and forget all of this. But it will still remain: Gaea will die."
Hitomi tasted something funny at the back of her throat as she stared upon the ground. Too many things have happened today: she escaped from the floating fortress, she died and was revived, she met her great-grandmother, and was told of her destiny on Gaea. She thought that her arrival on this world all those years ago was just coincidence that she happened to be caught in the pillar of light with Van. Was she truly meant to come?
"If I am your great-granddaughter," she said thoughtfully. "Then that would mean I'm..."
"Part Atlantean and part Japanese," Gaea finished. "You are from two different worlds. The one that you lived in your entire life and the one that has given you your Sight." She paused, studying the girl. "Which one do you choose?"
"I don't know right now," she murmured. She glanced at Van, whose face remained without expression. "I'd want to stay here with Van, but my father just died. I don't think my mother could bare it if I disappeared."
"Of course," Gaea nodded. "The choice doesn't need to be made at this exact moment. However, once the power of Atlantis has been contained, Gaea will remain hidden from Earth for eternity. You have the choice of staying here or returning to your world because you have the blood of both worlds. There will be time enough for one more trip through the light. After that, the link will be closed."
One more trip... she thought. In five days, I have to decided whether or not I'm going to live on Gaea for the rest of my life... without my family.
"What do you think?" she asked Van.
He remained silent for a moment, then sighed. "I know what it is like to lose family. I barely made it through when my mother and brother disappeared, but I see how close you are to yours. I don't know what you would go through."
"So you're telling me to go home?"
"No. I'm telling you that this is your decision. I want what is only best for you."
Five days... I have five days to decide.
A loud eruption shook the cavern, knocking loose rocks from their ledges. Hitomi and Gaea grasped the tree trunk for support as Van struggled to remained balance.
"Zaibach," he growled.
"They are still after you," Gaea said. "They have explosives and mean to destroy this place. Hitomi is still weak and needs some time to recover from the Healing. There is a Wolf-clan a few miles from here. They are kind people and I have blessed them each year. They will take you in and provide hospitality."
Hitomi began to take her arms out of the cloak's oversized sleeves, but Gaea stopped her. "Keep it," she said. "You'll need proof I sent you. But you need to escape now."
"Where?" Van exclaimed. "That's the only entrance to the cave and they have that well covered."
She gestured upwards, extending a finger to the source of light. A hole, so tiny a small child barely could squeeze through, opened to the sky above.
"How do you expect us to get out that hole?" Van asked, obviously flustered and worried for Hitomi's safety.
"You are a descendant of Atlantis, are you not?" Gaea asked. He nodded. "Then you are aware of being able to change shape?"
"Yes, but I never did it. My mother was full-blooded Draconian and she never could do it. I just assumed that I couldn't, either."
"True. But your body is capable of doing so." She pointed at Hitomi. "And so is hers. I want you two to stand close together. I'll help you this time, but I can have no further influence and contact with either one of you."
Van pulled Hitomi to her feet and held her tightly, bringing her so close to his body that she could hear his heart beating rapidly. She leaned her head upon his chest, finding that this was comforting.
Suddenly, she felt as if she were falling again. The walls grew enormous, towering over. And so did Gaea. She became a giant. Or was it... she was shrinking?
As she diminished in size, she could feel change. Van was no longer holding her. No, he was now apart of her. Or she was apart of him. She couldn't figure it out. They were two minds merged into one body, a dove's body. Her arms had been transformed into wings. Her wings. Their wings.
She sensed Van was rather confused.
van... she said, noticing that her words were not voiced, rather directly to his mind. Much like how Gaea spoke to her those times before.
are you alright? he asked, sending her waves of concern.
i'm fine... concentrate on beating in time with me... i think we both control movements together...
i see... follow my lead... up, down, up, down...
She felt herself move as he moved. As they lifted off the ground and fluttered around the cavern, Hitomi laughed at their triumph. They swung low, diving towards Gaea, who chuckled with her.
"Get out of here, you two," she said as she ducked. "They'll be in at any moment."
Hitomi urged Van towards the shaft of light at the cave's roof. With a burst of energy, they passed through the small opening, climbing higher to the mid-morning sky.
* * *
Gaea watched the dove as they disappeared out the hole.
"Good luck and be safe," she added as soon as they were out of hearing range. She turned and walked into the tree, returning to her position protecting the world just as the explosives ignited, destroying the cavern.
* * *
Ashira giggled hysterically as she sat in her red Alseides unit. She loved her Melef; the smell, the mobility, the absolute power of it. Zaibach, during the seven years of hiding and rebuilding of the empire in secret, designed a newer model with more additions, including the traditional Crima Claw and fire-thrower.
And she used everything the mecha had to get into the waterfall.
She saw that damned Draconian with the girl's dead body get sucked into the falls, but their bodies never appeared at the base. She figured that, somehow, they went inside to an underground hidden area for retreating.
But why did he bring her with him? Ashira knew that Hitomi was dead. She had used the Black Arrow, a bolt specifically designed to kill the target within a few minutes. The arrowhead not only drives through the body with such force, it also injects a deadly poison that spreads through the bloodstream in seconds.
She grasped the pendant upon her neck. This is all I need, she thought. This will bring Zaibach to rule over all of Gaea.
But the Dragon had killed one of her men. She watch his Melef unit explode as it hit the canyon wall. She had to finish her job and destroy him as well.
"Bring me explosives now!" she screamed into her intercom.
"This isn't necessary, Ashira," she heard Sekhmet's voice interrupt the intercom operator's protests. "We have what we need."
"This isn't about the object, Sekhmet," she hissed. "He killed my men. This is about honor!"
There was a long pause at the other end. She finally heard him command some other soldiers to join her and bring her what she desired.
But that was about 20 minutes ago. She stood impatiently inside Alseides, watching some foot soldiers jam the explosives into rock crevasses surrounding the Weeping Lion's mouth. I'll cave him inside where he can rot away, she thought, a twisted grin appearing on her lips.
She looked up into the cerulean sky, seeing a lone dove with draping tail feathers emerge from above. A sensation of peace and calmness filled within her at this sight. Was this trying to tell her something?
"Nah, screw it," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Blow it!"
* * *
do you think gaea will be alright, van?
probably... i'm sure she escaped before they demolished the waterfall...
i hope so...
Hitomi looked down at the earth below. They had climbed so high that clouds began to hide the canyon they escaped. She felt the warm sun glowing on their back, basking in its heat. They no longer needed the beat to keep in sync with one another; it just simply flowed as one.
it's amazing from up here... she said, trying to lighten the moment.
i know... whenever i needed to clear my head, i'd always go out for a flight... but always at night...
did you go alone?
always...
do you like it better? being alone?
sometimes... but i'd want someone that i love to share it with... like you...
If it was visible through the white feathers, Hitomi blushed. aren't i just a burden to you? you always had to carry me...
you've never been a burden to me, hitomi... i love spending every moment with you...
even that time when i smacked you across the face right after you slew the dragon?
well...
She burst out laughing. what about that time...
alright, alright... i get it... but there are times... like when we just escaped from asturia and spent the night in the forest... we were just lying under the stars and you were talking about your family... he stopped in mid-sentence.
what's wrong?
nothing... i just didn't want to remind you about... you know...
van, don't worry... i'm not thinking about that right now... just living in the moment, you know?
i see... he said softly.
But I am going to have to think about my decision soon, she thought to herself.
that must be the village... he said.
Appearing through the clouds sat a small community in a forest's clearing. As they neared it, Hitomi could see several wolf-children playing games as elder wolf-women cleaned clothing.
where should we land?
over there... away from everyone...
They veered to where the forest was thicker, protecting them from the sharp eyes of the wolves. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Hitomi could feel the change coming once more. A moment later, they stood separately, still in each other's arms and as their own selves.
She felt a little dizzy from the rush of changing. Van looked at her with concern, but she shook her head and said she was perfectly fine. Nonetheless, he still held her hand as they walked back to the village.
"Excuse me," he called to one of the wolf-children they saw overhead. "I need to speak to your chief."
The children looked at one another, puzzled as to do what the stranger asked of them. Three of the older looking ones huddled together, whispering and looking over their shoulders. Finally, one came forward.
"My father is the leader of our clan," she said. "You may speak to him if you wish."
Van nodded, and the girl beckoned him to follow her. He hid Hitomi behind him as they followed.
They came to the center of the town, where other beast-men and women gathered around. A tall man stepped forward, towering over Van who was six feet tall as it was.
"I am Shem, leader of this Wolf-clan," he spoke in a husky voice. "What may I do for you...?"
"Van," he finished. "And I need lodging for her." He pulled Hitomi before him.
Shem gasped. "You are wearing the Lady's robe," he murmured, lowering to his knees. The rest of the people followed his gesture.
"Please, don't," Hitomi said, giving her hand to him. He grasped it and stood up.
"We just need a place for her to rest tonight and we'll be on our way tomorrow morning," Van explained.
Shem nodded. "Anything for someone chosen by the Lady," he said.
Hitomi smiled, but grew light-headed again. Although the sun was not directly overhead, she felt hot and sweltering. Van sensed her fading and managed to catch her as she collapsed.
"Quickly! Bring her to my hut!" an old wolf-woman pushed through the crowd.
Van picked her up easily and followed the woman to an animal-skin shelter towards the back of the village. She held the flap for him as he passed.
"Put her there," she pointed to the heap of soft skins on the floor. She walked over to a pot of cool water and placed a clean cloth inside, sprinkling some ground herbs as well.
"Are you the Healer?" he asked as he gently lowered her.
"Yes," she said, wringing out the excess water with her gnarled fingers. "And have been for sixty years now." She placed it upon her forehead. "Keep an eye on her while I go get more water, young Van," she commanded. "She needs to stay cool."
"Thank you," he said, looking up at her. "And what do I call you?"
She grinned, revealing very few teeth remaining in her mouth. "The kids here call me Tutu because my name's too long and hard to pronounce." With that, she stepped through the flap.
Van returned his attention to Hitomi. Her breathing steadied and she slept deeply. But in her sleep, she searched for his hand. He grabbed it and she held it tightly.
"Don't worry, Hitomi," he said confidently. "I'm not letting you go."
* * *
The floating fortress hovered in the sky just behind the mountain. It was an easy target to inform anyone who happened to pass by where Zaibach's secret hideout was located. Fortunately, the invisibility mechanism hid the vessel from the untrained eye.
Ashira, closely followed by Sekhmet and many other soldiers, strode triumphantly through the old abandoned mine. They made more improvements, inserting steel pillars to hold the old roof. Torchlights lit their way as they walked deeper inside.
Making way to the large open chamber where more testing and constructing occurred, Ashira walked directly to the back meeting room where the Oracle was located.
"Have you finished the task I sent you for?" the ancient man asked, his long silver hair and beard almost touching the floor.
Ashira pulled the pendant out from behind her armor. "I have the object right here," she said, placing it into his withered, old hands.
"Ahhh, this is it, alright," he said, holding it up to the light.
Ashira smiled, pleased.
"But you only have half of what I asked," he finished.
She could feel her blood boiling in anger. "What do you mean? I got the damn pendant! All we need to do now is wait until the eclipse comes in five days, just like you predicted."
"True," he said. "I asked for the pendant. But I also needed the one who bore it."
"Who? The Dragon?" she asked. "I thought you said we didn't need him."
"We don't. And he wasn't the one wearing it."
"Yes, he was, old man!" Ashira grew furious. "Tell me, is there anything else you can do for us?"
"Once we have the two objects, no, there's nothing else, my Lady," he said.
"I think we're done with you now!" she shouted as she threw her dagger into his throat. Blood leapt out as he grasped the handle, sinking to the floor, sputtering and choking.
"Damn Oracle," she muttered as she stormed away. Her men cleared a path as she went. "What is he to tell me that I'm wrong. Of course, he was wearing it. I pulled it off..." She stopped in her tracks.
"Oh gods," she said. "It's that stupid bitch from the Mystic Moon." So the man died for nothing. An easy mistake that could be overlooked. She shrugged her shoulders and walked back out to the floating fortress.
To be continued...
* * *
woo woo! I'm a little on the wild side tonight. I don't know why. Maybe someone slipped a little somethin somethin in my drink or... somethin. Okay, whew... instead of going out to see American Pie 2, I decided to stay home and edit my story (just kidding, I'm seeing tomorrow with my friend). Maybe its because its so late. Hmmm... the plot thickens...
PS. This chapter's title comes from "The Lion King," the movie that made me decide I wanted to go into animation. Actually, it was more like "Toy Story" and me into computer animation. Anyhoo, this is from the Broadway show (Fabulous! Just saw it!) and I don't know exactly what dialect it is. Either Swahili or Zulu. But it means "We know who we are."
PPS. I don't know if you saw, but when Gaea spoke of choosing destiny, I happened to put the wheel of fortune/rota fortunae thing in, where the title of this story derives from.
Time. 2.04 pm
Music. Knight's Tale soundtrack
Chapter 11
Copyright. I don't own the Vision of Escaflowne or any of its characters.
Author's Notes. Hello! Yay, I can kinda get onto fanfiction.net now! Wheee! I've done so much stuff in the past... umm... whenever I left off. Shopping for my dorm, got henna on my hand, watched pretty much most of Cowboy Bebop... I have no life :( Anyhoo, on with the story!
The Vision of Escaflowne. Rota Fortunae
Chapter 11. Siya zazi
* * *
"What?" Hitomi whispered, her words stuck in her throat.
"It is true," Gaea said, smiling softly. "We are of the same bloodline. You are my great-granddaughter."
If she had been standing at the moment, Hitomi would have surely collapsed to the ground from the shock. Without looking, she sought Van's hand for comfort.
"I'm sorry not to ever tell you until now," she continued. "Your grandmother was never the same after the man gave her the pendant. When your mother was young, she would make up stories about the mysterious land she journeyed to. How, she continued to do so as she grew older. Your mother never believed in Gaea, so she did not tell you of your grandmother's experience."
"But some how, Grandma wanted to tell me," Hitomi thought aloud. "She gave me the pendant."
"She gave you the pendant because she knew you would come here one day," Gaea replied. "All three of you have an amazing clairvoyant power of predicting the future. She could somehow sense the greatness within you. Stronger than she or your mother."
"Greatness?" Hitomi snorted. "There's nothing so great about me. I'm as normal as anyone."
Gaea shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind Hitomi's ear. "But you're not, little one. You always known that there was something there... something important for you to do. You came here seven years ago and changed all the people that you met. You protected this world from seeing the destruction that Atlantis met from the hands of the enemy."
"But that was then," Hitomi said. "Why am I here again?"
"Because the same enemy wishes for the power of Atlantis again. But they have found another way to achieve it."
"How?" Van asked, unsure if he wanted to hear what Gaea said. He already had an idea in his mind of how to achieve it.
"Gaea was created on the basis of a wish. A very strong wish. That wish consisted of two items: the Atlantean and the stone in the pendant. The psychic power of the wish and the chemical balance within the rock cause a reaction that grants it."
Hitomi recalled the number of times when her pendant glowed as it reacted to something. Could it be that subconsciously she had wished something?
"There will be an eclipse in five days. Normally, that would not be anything special. But this one will center onto the Temple of Atlantis, residing within Mount Aslan. If, at that precise moment, an Atlantean, pure of heart, wearing the pendant and is standing in the circle where the eclipse focuses on, that person shall be the master of the power of Atlantis and peace shall rule over Gaea."
"That's why Zaibach wanted the pendant so bad," Van growled.
"But what if the person isn't Atlantean?" Hitomi asked, remembering that Ashira tore her necklace from her. "Just a normal person... or a Draconian?"
Gaea shuttered. "Day will become night. Chaos will endure. Famine will spread over the lands. Crops will die and the people will live in hatred and greed. Gaea will lose all of her power and die, thus slowly bringing the inhabitants to their deaths along with her."
"Can't you get the power once the eclipse happens?" Van asked.
"No. It must reside in a body, not a soul." She turned to Hitomi. "You are the only one capable of achieving this feat. The one destined to be the Lady of Atlantis."
"I don't believe in fate and predetermined destiny anymore. I gave up the Tarot cards once I returned to Earth years ago." She stared at the ground. "I changed too many lives that way."
"So you say," Gaea sat upon the root next to her. "Fate and free will go along side by side. You create your own path to follow, not the one that has already been laid out for you, correct?"
Hitomi nodded.
"There is an infinite number of paths that you could follow, all leading to a different outcome. You have the freedom to choose one and one alone. That path would be your destiny. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Hitomi nodded again, this time slower. "Kind of like a Wheel of Fortune, huh?"
Gaea smiled faintly. "Rota Fortunae," she said gently. "The path I spoke of is one of many different destinies. As I told you earlier, you could always go home to Earth and forget all of this. But it will still remain: Gaea will die."
Hitomi tasted something funny at the back of her throat as she stared upon the ground. Too many things have happened today: she escaped from the floating fortress, she died and was revived, she met her great-grandmother, and was told of her destiny on Gaea. She thought that her arrival on this world all those years ago was just coincidence that she happened to be caught in the pillar of light with Van. Was she truly meant to come?
"If I am your great-granddaughter," she said thoughtfully. "Then that would mean I'm..."
"Part Atlantean and part Japanese," Gaea finished. "You are from two different worlds. The one that you lived in your entire life and the one that has given you your Sight." She paused, studying the girl. "Which one do you choose?"
"I don't know right now," she murmured. She glanced at Van, whose face remained without expression. "I'd want to stay here with Van, but my father just died. I don't think my mother could bare it if I disappeared."
"Of course," Gaea nodded. "The choice doesn't need to be made at this exact moment. However, once the power of Atlantis has been contained, Gaea will remain hidden from Earth for eternity. You have the choice of staying here or returning to your world because you have the blood of both worlds. There will be time enough for one more trip through the light. After that, the link will be closed."
One more trip... she thought. In five days, I have to decided whether or not I'm going to live on Gaea for the rest of my life... without my family.
"What do you think?" she asked Van.
He remained silent for a moment, then sighed. "I know what it is like to lose family. I barely made it through when my mother and brother disappeared, but I see how close you are to yours. I don't know what you would go through."
"So you're telling me to go home?"
"No. I'm telling you that this is your decision. I want what is only best for you."
Five days... I have five days to decide.
A loud eruption shook the cavern, knocking loose rocks from their ledges. Hitomi and Gaea grasped the tree trunk for support as Van struggled to remained balance.
"Zaibach," he growled.
"They are still after you," Gaea said. "They have explosives and mean to destroy this place. Hitomi is still weak and needs some time to recover from the Healing. There is a Wolf-clan a few miles from here. They are kind people and I have blessed them each year. They will take you in and provide hospitality."
Hitomi began to take her arms out of the cloak's oversized sleeves, but Gaea stopped her. "Keep it," she said. "You'll need proof I sent you. But you need to escape now."
"Where?" Van exclaimed. "That's the only entrance to the cave and they have that well covered."
She gestured upwards, extending a finger to the source of light. A hole, so tiny a small child barely could squeeze through, opened to the sky above.
"How do you expect us to get out that hole?" Van asked, obviously flustered and worried for Hitomi's safety.
"You are a descendant of Atlantis, are you not?" Gaea asked. He nodded. "Then you are aware of being able to change shape?"
"Yes, but I never did it. My mother was full-blooded Draconian and she never could do it. I just assumed that I couldn't, either."
"True. But your body is capable of doing so." She pointed at Hitomi. "And so is hers. I want you two to stand close together. I'll help you this time, but I can have no further influence and contact with either one of you."
Van pulled Hitomi to her feet and held her tightly, bringing her so close to his body that she could hear his heart beating rapidly. She leaned her head upon his chest, finding that this was comforting.
Suddenly, she felt as if she were falling again. The walls grew enormous, towering over. And so did Gaea. She became a giant. Or was it... she was shrinking?
As she diminished in size, she could feel change. Van was no longer holding her. No, he was now apart of her. Or she was apart of him. She couldn't figure it out. They were two minds merged into one body, a dove's body. Her arms had been transformed into wings. Her wings. Their wings.
She sensed Van was rather confused.
van... she said, noticing that her words were not voiced, rather directly to his mind. Much like how Gaea spoke to her those times before.
are you alright? he asked, sending her waves of concern.
i'm fine... concentrate on beating in time with me... i think we both control movements together...
i see... follow my lead... up, down, up, down...
She felt herself move as he moved. As they lifted off the ground and fluttered around the cavern, Hitomi laughed at their triumph. They swung low, diving towards Gaea, who chuckled with her.
"Get out of here, you two," she said as she ducked. "They'll be in at any moment."
Hitomi urged Van towards the shaft of light at the cave's roof. With a burst of energy, they passed through the small opening, climbing higher to the mid-morning sky.
* * *
Gaea watched the dove as they disappeared out the hole.
"Good luck and be safe," she added as soon as they were out of hearing range. She turned and walked into the tree, returning to her position protecting the world just as the explosives ignited, destroying the cavern.
* * *
Ashira giggled hysterically as she sat in her red Alseides unit. She loved her Melef; the smell, the mobility, the absolute power of it. Zaibach, during the seven years of hiding and rebuilding of the empire in secret, designed a newer model with more additions, including the traditional Crima Claw and fire-thrower.
And she used everything the mecha had to get into the waterfall.
She saw that damned Draconian with the girl's dead body get sucked into the falls, but their bodies never appeared at the base. She figured that, somehow, they went inside to an underground hidden area for retreating.
But why did he bring her with him? Ashira knew that Hitomi was dead. She had used the Black Arrow, a bolt specifically designed to kill the target within a few minutes. The arrowhead not only drives through the body with such force, it also injects a deadly poison that spreads through the bloodstream in seconds.
She grasped the pendant upon her neck. This is all I need, she thought. This will bring Zaibach to rule over all of Gaea.
But the Dragon had killed one of her men. She watch his Melef unit explode as it hit the canyon wall. She had to finish her job and destroy him as well.
"Bring me explosives now!" she screamed into her intercom.
"This isn't necessary, Ashira," she heard Sekhmet's voice interrupt the intercom operator's protests. "We have what we need."
"This isn't about the object, Sekhmet," she hissed. "He killed my men. This is about honor!"
There was a long pause at the other end. She finally heard him command some other soldiers to join her and bring her what she desired.
But that was about 20 minutes ago. She stood impatiently inside Alseides, watching some foot soldiers jam the explosives into rock crevasses surrounding the Weeping Lion's mouth. I'll cave him inside where he can rot away, she thought, a twisted grin appearing on her lips.
She looked up into the cerulean sky, seeing a lone dove with draping tail feathers emerge from above. A sensation of peace and calmness filled within her at this sight. Was this trying to tell her something?
"Nah, screw it," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Blow it!"
* * *
do you think gaea will be alright, van?
probably... i'm sure she escaped before they demolished the waterfall...
i hope so...
Hitomi looked down at the earth below. They had climbed so high that clouds began to hide the canyon they escaped. She felt the warm sun glowing on their back, basking in its heat. They no longer needed the beat to keep in sync with one another; it just simply flowed as one.
it's amazing from up here... she said, trying to lighten the moment.
i know... whenever i needed to clear my head, i'd always go out for a flight... but always at night...
did you go alone?
always...
do you like it better? being alone?
sometimes... but i'd want someone that i love to share it with... like you...
If it was visible through the white feathers, Hitomi blushed. aren't i just a burden to you? you always had to carry me...
you've never been a burden to me, hitomi... i love spending every moment with you...
even that time when i smacked you across the face right after you slew the dragon?
well...
She burst out laughing. what about that time...
alright, alright... i get it... but there are times... like when we just escaped from asturia and spent the night in the forest... we were just lying under the stars and you were talking about your family... he stopped in mid-sentence.
what's wrong?
nothing... i just didn't want to remind you about... you know...
van, don't worry... i'm not thinking about that right now... just living in the moment, you know?
i see... he said softly.
But I am going to have to think about my decision soon, she thought to herself.
that must be the village... he said.
Appearing through the clouds sat a small community in a forest's clearing. As they neared it, Hitomi could see several wolf-children playing games as elder wolf-women cleaned clothing.
where should we land?
over there... away from everyone...
They veered to where the forest was thicker, protecting them from the sharp eyes of the wolves. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Hitomi could feel the change coming once more. A moment later, they stood separately, still in each other's arms and as their own selves.
She felt a little dizzy from the rush of changing. Van looked at her with concern, but she shook her head and said she was perfectly fine. Nonetheless, he still held her hand as they walked back to the village.
"Excuse me," he called to one of the wolf-children they saw overhead. "I need to speak to your chief."
The children looked at one another, puzzled as to do what the stranger asked of them. Three of the older looking ones huddled together, whispering and looking over their shoulders. Finally, one came forward.
"My father is the leader of our clan," she said. "You may speak to him if you wish."
Van nodded, and the girl beckoned him to follow her. He hid Hitomi behind him as they followed.
They came to the center of the town, where other beast-men and women gathered around. A tall man stepped forward, towering over Van who was six feet tall as it was.
"I am Shem, leader of this Wolf-clan," he spoke in a husky voice. "What may I do for you...?"
"Van," he finished. "And I need lodging for her." He pulled Hitomi before him.
Shem gasped. "You are wearing the Lady's robe," he murmured, lowering to his knees. The rest of the people followed his gesture.
"Please, don't," Hitomi said, giving her hand to him. He grasped it and stood up.
"We just need a place for her to rest tonight and we'll be on our way tomorrow morning," Van explained.
Shem nodded. "Anything for someone chosen by the Lady," he said.
Hitomi smiled, but grew light-headed again. Although the sun was not directly overhead, she felt hot and sweltering. Van sensed her fading and managed to catch her as she collapsed.
"Quickly! Bring her to my hut!" an old wolf-woman pushed through the crowd.
Van picked her up easily and followed the woman to an animal-skin shelter towards the back of the village. She held the flap for him as he passed.
"Put her there," she pointed to the heap of soft skins on the floor. She walked over to a pot of cool water and placed a clean cloth inside, sprinkling some ground herbs as well.
"Are you the Healer?" he asked as he gently lowered her.
"Yes," she said, wringing out the excess water with her gnarled fingers. "And have been for sixty years now." She placed it upon her forehead. "Keep an eye on her while I go get more water, young Van," she commanded. "She needs to stay cool."
"Thank you," he said, looking up at her. "And what do I call you?"
She grinned, revealing very few teeth remaining in her mouth. "The kids here call me Tutu because my name's too long and hard to pronounce." With that, she stepped through the flap.
Van returned his attention to Hitomi. Her breathing steadied and she slept deeply. But in her sleep, she searched for his hand. He grabbed it and she held it tightly.
"Don't worry, Hitomi," he said confidently. "I'm not letting you go."
* * *
The floating fortress hovered in the sky just behind the mountain. It was an easy target to inform anyone who happened to pass by where Zaibach's secret hideout was located. Fortunately, the invisibility mechanism hid the vessel from the untrained eye.
Ashira, closely followed by Sekhmet and many other soldiers, strode triumphantly through the old abandoned mine. They made more improvements, inserting steel pillars to hold the old roof. Torchlights lit their way as they walked deeper inside.
Making way to the large open chamber where more testing and constructing occurred, Ashira walked directly to the back meeting room where the Oracle was located.
"Have you finished the task I sent you for?" the ancient man asked, his long silver hair and beard almost touching the floor.
Ashira pulled the pendant out from behind her armor. "I have the object right here," she said, placing it into his withered, old hands.
"Ahhh, this is it, alright," he said, holding it up to the light.
Ashira smiled, pleased.
"But you only have half of what I asked," he finished.
She could feel her blood boiling in anger. "What do you mean? I got the damn pendant! All we need to do now is wait until the eclipse comes in five days, just like you predicted."
"True," he said. "I asked for the pendant. But I also needed the one who bore it."
"Who? The Dragon?" she asked. "I thought you said we didn't need him."
"We don't. And he wasn't the one wearing it."
"Yes, he was, old man!" Ashira grew furious. "Tell me, is there anything else you can do for us?"
"Once we have the two objects, no, there's nothing else, my Lady," he said.
"I think we're done with you now!" she shouted as she threw her dagger into his throat. Blood leapt out as he grasped the handle, sinking to the floor, sputtering and choking.
"Damn Oracle," she muttered as she stormed away. Her men cleared a path as she went. "What is he to tell me that I'm wrong. Of course, he was wearing it. I pulled it off..." She stopped in her tracks.
"Oh gods," she said. "It's that stupid bitch from the Mystic Moon." So the man died for nothing. An easy mistake that could be overlooked. She shrugged her shoulders and walked back out to the floating fortress.
To be continued...
* * *
woo woo! I'm a little on the wild side tonight. I don't know why. Maybe someone slipped a little somethin somethin in my drink or... somethin. Okay, whew... instead of going out to see American Pie 2, I decided to stay home and edit my story (just kidding, I'm seeing tomorrow with my friend). Maybe its because its so late. Hmmm... the plot thickens...
PS. This chapter's title comes from "The Lion King," the movie that made me decide I wanted to go into animation. Actually, it was more like "Toy Story" and me into computer animation. Anyhoo, this is from the Broadway show (Fabulous! Just saw it!) and I don't know exactly what dialect it is. Either Swahili or Zulu. But it means "We know who we are."
PPS. I don't know if you saw, but when Gaea spoke of choosing destiny, I happened to put the wheel of fortune/rota fortunae thing in, where the title of this story derives from.