Date. 11.11.2001
Time. 11.06 pm
Music. Buffy the Musical soundtrack (really pathetic but I love Spike singing)
Chapter 18
Copyright. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne nor any of its characters.
Author's Notes. Oh… man… this took SO long to write. Bleh. I've had big projects to work on and I have to stop for awhile because I REALLY need to focus on all my final projects. They're gonna take a long time to do so RF is going to be put on hold. Sorry. It will be finished this winter break because mine begins Thanksgiving and is six weeks long. SO long!
Any hoo, I need to go study for government (bleh) so here's the next installment. BYE!
PS. Go to the end of the chapter, I have a really exciting story to tell.
The Vision of Escaflowne. Rota Fortunae
Chapter 18. Taken By
* * *
Celena sat uncomfortably on the Crusade's deck, nervously twisting her fingers in her clothes. The steady rhythm of the humming motors was the only thing that produced noise. Occasionally, one of the crew members would speak to another in a low voice, generally asking status about the ship's speed or whatnot. But for most of the trip, the atmosphere remained silent.
She stared ahead out the grand deck window, seeing only endless ocean. Before the sun had risen that morning, they had already flying for a hour, followed by numerous energist-welding ships from Asturia's army, each one containing soldiers, Guymelefs, and weapons.
Allen stood at the bow, his face cold and distant. She had never seen him this grave and serious before. Gaddes stood by his side and whispered something. He shook his head and replied in the same tone.
Merle sat by her side on the bench, her sharp nails clawing into the old wood. She's probably as nervous as I am, she thought. The cat-girl glanced at Celena, who gave her a warm smile and squeezed her hand.
They had been flying for four reckless hours, almost reaching their destination, and still no sight of Van or Hitomi. Where were they? Could it be true that they had traveled beyond the boundaries and returned to the Mystic Moon? And was it possible for them to come back to Gaea?
She leaned over and laced up her knee high boots. She was aware of an upcoming battle and did not want her formal dress to get in the way. She and Merle grabbed some breeches that they had found and quickly put them on, not noticing the size difference. She attached her small blade shaft onto her thigh and leaned back.
Although she was unconscious for most parts when Dilandau, she still could hear his manically laughter in the back of her mind. She had never told Allen this, in fear that she would have to undertake some more treatment to "fix" her. However, she discovered that she attained his skills at sword fighting at a subconscious level.
"Celena, you know you're not going out there," Allen muttered, not even turning around to speak to her.
She snorted. "That's what you think," she said.
"I meant it!" he snapped. "Your level isn't high enough to face these men. You're staying here."
"Just because I am a woman, doesn't mean that I'm not cap…" her rant was interrupted by a blinding light in front of the Crusade. Her hand went up instantly to block her sight from the radiance as it filled the room. As rapidly as it had appeared, it dimmed and disappeared. Celena, rubbing her eyes, ran to the windowpanes and scanned outside.
It took her a moment, but she saw a figure flying swiftly towards the leviship, Draconian wings beating in the wind. She recognized his black hair immediately.
"Open the hatch!" she commanded. "It's Van and Hitomi! They're here!"
* * *
The last thing that Hitomi had implanted in her memory was the vision of her family and friends waving good bye. It only lasted a moment or two, then she and Van merged into the light's energy. He was there, overcoming her with waves of concern. She replied with quick answers that she was alright.
And then, the light disappeared, leaving them free-falling in mid-air. Hitomi was still in his arms, so he clutched tighter as he ripped off his shirt and released his wings. Their eyes adjusted to their surroundings; the cerulean ocean below and a garrison of leviships cruising towards them. Hitomi recognized it immediately.
"It's the Crusade!" she cried. "Celena kept her promise!"
Van held her closer to his body. "Hang on," he said. "It's going to get a bit bumpy."
He narrowed his wings and dove under the leviship. The wind produced from the propellers knocked them around a little, but he managed to keep on track. He came up on the side where one of the hatches opened.
"Fanel!" he heard Gaddes yell from the doorway. Van angled his wings and flew over to the access, where the Second-in-Command gave him an outreached hand. He grabbed it, still continuing to flap constantly against the wind generated from the propellers. Gaddes tried pulling them in, but needed the aide of his fellow mates. Finally, four men managed to pull in the King and the girl from the Mystic Moon. Van had barely a fraction of a second to draw in his wings before a scream echoed in the hull.
"LOOORD VAAAAN!!!"
"Oh no…" he groaned as Merle pounced him, knocking to the floor.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! GETTING UP AND LEAVING LIKE THAT?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME?! I'VE BEEN GOING INSANE!!!" she screeched, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him, her body pinning him to the ground.
"Nice to see you too, Merle," he replied calmly.
Hitomi laughed softly to herself, watching her fiancée lying on the cold metal floor completely helpless. Gaddes and the other crew members just shook their heads.
"It's good to see you again, Hitomi," Celena said from behind.
She turned to face Allen's sister and gave her a hug. "Thank you," she said. "For keeping your promise."
"Of course!" she cried. "Anything for the future of Gaea." She pushed back. "Are you alright? You went home, right?"
Hitomi nodded. "Something in the back of my mind drew me there. I knew I had to go." She paused. "I had to say good-bye to my family and friends."
Celena looked at her with sympathetic eyes, noting that Hitomi did not seem in the mood for talking about what just happened to her. Besides, there were more important things to do.
"So," she began, changing the subject. "What's our current location?"
"As of now, we are less than a hour away from Gahwindahn," Gaddes said. "We haven't seen any evidence of those Zaibach bastards… excuse my language, ladies… but there's no telling if they'll be there or not."
Merle finally removed herself from on top of Van. Hitomi reached out her hand and helped him to his feet, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek as she did so.
"Van, we took Escaflowne and loaded it onto the Crusade after you abandoned it yesterday," Allen spoke, his arms still crossed in front of his chest.
"Good, what happened after we left?" he asked, dusting himself off.
"As soon as Escaflowne had fallen, they just… stopped," the Knight Caeli scratched his head. "Ashira got back into her Guymelef and pulled her ranks."
"There was no point anymore to fight," Celena pointed out. "Hitomi wasn't there so there was no need."
"But that doesn't mean that they'll be waiting for us at Gahwindahn," he retorted.
"They'll be there," Hitomi said softly, staring out the side window. "I can feel it." Her eyes lingered for a moment. "When did the sun come up?" she asked.
"Awhile ago, why?" Allen replied.
"It's just that… when Van and I left, it was still afternoon here on Gaea, but on the Mystic Moon, it was nighttime. And when we left this morning, the sun hadn't come up yet. How is possible that Gaea is now ahead of schedule?"
"Wasn't Dryden saying something earlier that since Hitomi said that she can't see Gaea from the Mystic Moon, that somehow we're not on the same plane of existence? That time revolves differently on both worlds?" Celena asked.
That would explain a few things, Hitomi thought, then returned to her gazing outside. Her fingers instantly reached out for Van's touch, and he grasped her hand.
"I am grateful for all that you have done for us, my friends," he said to the others. "But would you mind if we were alone for a moment?"
Allen looked as though he would start to protest, but Celena grabbed his arm. "C'mon boys," she said gruffly. "Let's go see how much time we have left."
As the Crusade crew and passengers returned to the deck, he slid his hands and rubbed her neck.
"Mmmm…" she groaned, closing her eyes as he massaged.
"You're really tense up here," he noticed. "Is your back sore, too?"
"A little."
He hesitated, then took her hand, leading her away from the window. "Come with me," he said. Hitomi eyed him suspiciously, then followed.
He led her into a vacant sleeping room, barely furnished except for a bed, table, and two chairs. "Lie down on your stomach," he said, drawing her closer. She obeyed, easing herself onto the soft bed and crossing her arms underneath. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his index finger trailing down her spine, settling between her shoulder blades. "Here?" he asked.
She nodded, trying not to giggle at his feathery touch. He started to loosen her corset strings, but didn't bother removing the whole thing.
And then he started to work her muscles, slowly kneading her stressed shoulders. He worked his way down her smooth back. His massage had lost its strength after awhile, now more like gently rubbing her skin. They remained quiet for several moments, just listening to the motors of the leviship. Finally, he leaned over and kissed exactly where her wings would emerge.
"Van, I'm scared," she whispered, breaking the silence.
He crawled over her lounging body and settled himself between her and the wall. He stroked her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"It's alright, love," he replied, kissing her temple. "I'm here. I'll always be here for you."
She smiled, but it soon disappeared. "But what if…" she trailed off. Her fingers twisted in the fine gold chain carrying her pendant stone. "I don't know what's to come." As his fingers neared her face once more, she took them and kissed them softly. He entwined his fingers in her hand, feeling something round and metallic in her palm.
"What's this?" he asked.
"My grandmother's wedding ring," Hitomi replied, her eyes focused on it. "It's what Mom gave me just before we left. I forgot that I had still had it."
He took it from her hand and slipped it onto her finger. "Much better," he said, content.
She stared at her hand, the golden ring sparkling happily. She rolled over and stared into his eyes. "Why are you so good to me?" she asked softly.
He grinned and kissed her. "You're my girl," he said, pulling away for an instant.
She blushed deeply, then wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her as she kissed him deeply. "I love you," she whispered, running her hands in his hair, tucking some strands behind his ear. "I don't want to leave…"
Her sentence was cut short as her sight of Van suddenly turned to black. She reached out but touched nothing. She cried out his name but no one answered. Where am I, she wondered. Am I having a vision?
A soft glow radiated in the darkness caught her attention. She shielded her eyes as it overtook her, illuminating the room that she now stood in. As she adjusted to the light, she observed her new surroundings.
She stood in what seemed to be an ancient place of worship. Strong pillars of old stone held aloft a magnificent dome, painted with an epic mural, but dulled due to the exposure of centuries. Hitomi gazed heavenwards, depicting the images that clustered together. She saw the Mystic Moon, the moon, Gaea, and the other familiar planets that she was used to seeing in solar system charts. However, Gaea was somewhat left out of the norm, almost as if it were excluded from the others.
As if it was blocked out from outside contact, she thought. This is telling me about the Day of Revelation. She noticed foreign hieroglyphics carved into each pillar and the walls surrounding the round room she stood in. As she grazed her fingers over the worn indentations, she studied the ceiling once more. Centered and the main point of focus of the mural was the obvious figure of a young woman, clad in formfitting white robes and Draconian wings spread wide. Her palms were facing upwards as a pink stone settled in the middle of her chest. Her peaceful eyes remained closed, though Hitomi knew her without needing to know the color of her irises.
That's me…
Suddenly, she was aware of another presence in the room. Her eyes scanned the area quickly. "Anyone there?!" she cried out.
As the last note of her voice rang out in the emptiness, she heard heavy footsteps stop just behind her. She turned sharply and stared unbelievably at a familiar person….
"Folken…" she whispered.
* * *
Van backed away as Hitomi's body suddenly went rigid, her eyes staring blankly into space. This vision didn't seem to be causing her pain, so he grasped her hand and moved her so that her head lay in his lap.
Come back to me soon, he thought as he rubbed her temples.
* * *
She had never seen a person at peace as much as Folken seemed to be. He wore simple Fanelian clothing similar to Van's, his white wings folded at his sides. He smiled gently at her.
She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, a few stray tears trailing down her cheeks. He returned it to her, stroking her head as he hugged her.
She looked up at him curiously. "Folken?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"
He shook his head and brought a finger to his lips, signaling to her that he could not speak. She nodded that she understood.
"Why am I here?" she asked. Folken broke away from their embrace, pointing to the small hole in the domed ceiling. Hitomi followed his gestured and looked up. The noonday sun that had settled directly above the temple was soon blocked by some obstruction, causing an eclipse. It focused through the small opening as a narrow shaft of light entered the room and hit a drag-energist buried in the floor, deflecting the ray to another stone in one of the pillars. Hitomi suddenly realized that the room was littered with energists everywhere.
The shaft of sunlight traveled across the room, leaving behind a pink beam leading to the next stone. Hitomi was suddenly trapped inside the circle as the light enclosed her in. The light hit the pendant stone on the painted figure of her on the dome and traveled straight towards her. Hitomi brought her arms up to protect herself as the pink light overwhelmed her.
It never reached her. Instead, she found herself in the arms of Folken once more, his deep mahogany eyes staring into hers. They seemed to ask her if she knew what to do now. He grasped her pendant surrounding her neck.
She touched the smooth stone and returned her gaze to his. "I understand, Folken," she said. "Thank you."
He smiled again and held her head gently, kissing her forehead. It seemed so strange; Folken's touch was so much like Van's that it was rather awkward.
And as mysterious as he appeared, he was gone, leaving her alone once more. The temple faded away from her sight, returning her to the land of darkness. She could hear someone gentle calling her name from the distance.
"Hitomi… wake up…"
* * *
Van sighed in relief as Hitomi's eyes fluttered to life. He continued to stroke her cheek, looking down at her. "Thank the gods," he said. "Are you alright?"
She groaned, gazing upwards at him. "Yeah," she muttered as he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "How long have I been out?"
"Twenty minutes or so," he replied. "What did you see?"
"I was in the temple on Gahwindahn," she said. "He showed me how I was supposed to receive the power of Atlantis."
"Such as?"
"It's going to happen at noon. The sun will hit the energists in the temple and get directed to me and the pendant
Van was confused. "Who showed you?"
She sat up in bed and straightened herself. "Your brother," she said. "Folken showed me what I needed to do once I get to the island."
Van's eyes widened. "Folken…" he murmured. "How… how was he?"
Hitomi looked at him and smiled. "He's good, Van," she replied. "He's at peace… you don't have to worry."
Van's shoulders eased. "Good…"
"Hitomi! Van!" the Crusade's intercom cracked to life with Gaddes' voice. "Gahwindahn is in our sight. We'll be there in 20 minutes!"
Van punched the button. "We'll be there in a minute," he shouted back. He turned to Hitomi. "Are you ready?"
She took a deep breath. This is what you've been waiting for your entire life, she told herself. And now it is time.
"Yes."
* * *
Somehow, Hitomi thought that Gahwindahn would be a little smaller than what she perceived it to be. From the air, she could the entire perimeters. The island was part of a chain, surrounded by several other smaller masses of land. She could see the hollowed volcano that Van spoke of a few days earlier, part of it under the ocean and creating a crescent shape.
"Crap!" she heard one of the Crusade crew members spit out.
"What is it, Palu?" Allen asked sharply.
"Zaibach floating fortress is in the bay area!" he shouted back. "They're blocking the entrance to the temple steps. And there's a bunch of Guymelefs on the beach! This doesn't look good, Commander."
"Damn!" Allen cursed. "How many do you see on the beach?"
"Ummm… I'd say about 30 units…" Palu trailed off as he looked through the periscope. "Maybe a few more."
"We have enough for a frontal assult, Commander," Gaddes said. "We have the Asturian army with us."
"It's not that…" Allen replied, rubbing his chin. "If that's the only way to get into the temple, how are we going to get Hitomi inside?"
"You're right," Van agreed. "She can't go down there with the Guymelefs. She'll be an easy target…"
"Van…" Hitomi whispered, but he didn't hear her.
"…maybe if there is some way we can create a diversion or something that she could slip inside but…"
"Van," she spoke louder.
"Yes?"
Hitomi straightened. "I have an idea that may work," she spoke.
* * *
"Asturian leviships spotted at 35 degrees above sea level, ma'am," a Zaibach technician announced.
Right on schedule… Ashira thought as she tied her golden hair back tightly. "Hold the Melef units steady until they come close enough to attack."
"Why didn't you activate their stealth cloaks, Ashira?" Sekhmet's voice growled. "It would make things a lot easier."
"Where's the fun in that?" she replied smugly. "Besides, they're expecting us and there's no other way for that bitch to get into the temple without passing us."
She returned her attention to the incoming fleet. "Keep your eyes open, men!" she shouted. "Expect the unexpected!"
* * *
"I don't know…" Allen slouched in his captain's seat. "I don't like it. It's too risky."
"But it might work, right?" Hitomi stared at him, her eyes and heart determined.
He looked up and met her gaze. "Are you up for doing it?" he asked. "Do you actually know what you're doing?"
She paused. "Not exactly," she said slowly. "But if I don't try, then what else can we do?" She glanced over at Van, who seemed almost as unhappy as the Knight. "You know it will work," she said to him. "We did it before and caught past them. Why wouldn't it work again?"
"Because now they might be expecting something like this, Hitomi!" he snapped. "Ashira is aware that somehow we escaped from the waterfall…"
"…but she doesn't know *how* we escaped," she cut him off angrily. "Van, this is our only chance in getting in. We have maybe twenty minutes to a half-hour remaining before the eclipse happens." She touched his hand. "You're just going to have to trust me."
His arms remained crossed as she touched them gently. "Please, Van," she whispered. "I'll be alright… you just have to trust me…"
Van looked at her and sighed loudly. "Gods, I hate it when you do this…" he said finally. He looked at the Crusade crew. "Alright! Prepare for leaving! All flying Guymelefs are to protect Hitomi!"
"I still don't like this," Allen muttered.
"Too bad, brother… I'm going down there," Celena said loudly.
"No, you're not! That's an order!"
"Wait, wait, wait…" Van broke into the brotherly/sisterly fight. "You want to go down there?"
"I want to help out in some way," she pleaded. "I still know the skills that Dilandau learned that would allow me to fight… But my dearest brother won't even let me leave the Crusade!"
Van thought for a moment. "Would you mind accompanying Hitomi to make sure that she's protected?" he asked.
"What?!" both Allen and Celena shouted, although it different tones.
"You can fly down with one of the Guymelefs and, when you have a break, run up the steps to where the temple is. Hitomi should already be inside… I'm just asking to make sure that no one else goes up there."
"I can do that," Celena said, her voice a bit scared. She looked at Allen. "Unless, he doesn't want me to do it."
Allen sighed. "I'm not going to win this fight, am I?"
"Nope."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, go with Van on Escaflowne. I'll send fighters along with you so that you'll be protected." He turned to the others. "Let's go!"
* * *
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Van held Hitomi close and looked deeply into her. They stood in the Guymelef holding area as men ran to and fro to their Melefs.
She nodded. "Just hold me, ok?" she whispered.
Van pulled her into him, enveloping her with muscular arms. She kissed him on the cheek. "I love you," she said into his ear. "I'll always love you." With that, she closed her eyes.
Van felt her disappear as her body changed. His eyes remained close tight until he was sure that she was done. He opened his eyes to see that he was no longer holding his love, but a white dove with trailing tail feathers. He smiled at her and lifted her up closer to his face.
"How do you feel?" he asked the bird.
He heard Hitomi answer him, but it entered directly into his mind. a little tired… but i'm fine…
She ruffled her feathers and looked at him. so how do i look?
He grinned. "Perfect." He walked over to the edge where the door had been lowered, waiting for departure from the sitting Melefs. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her back. "Do you remember how to fly?" he asked.
The dove nodded. "First Melef unit, move out!" he shouted.
The sudden rush of the first wave filled the room with a wind storm. Van clutched onto Hitomi as the Guymelefs flew out of the Crusade. He noticed the other Guymelefs leaving the hangers of the other leviships in their army.
He sighed. "You ready?" he asked.
yes…
He ignored his heavy heart as he gently let go of her. Hitomi spread her wings and followed the flying Guymelefs, gliding on the wind currents. He sighed as a hand touched his shoulder.
"I'll make sure nothing happens to her, Van," Celena said softly.
He looked at her. "Let's go," he said.
* * *
"Alright," Van said as he held Escaflowne's reins. "All you have to do is climb the steps up to the temple. I'll stop on the beach and you jump off and run. Got it?"
Celena nodded as she held onto his waist. He pulled the right lead up and Escaflowne dove rapidly down to the already raging battle. Celena watched in horror as Guymelefs destroyed one another on the war field. One Zaibach soldier shot a Crima Claw at them, but Van manage to maneuver Escaflowne and avoid it.
They landed roughly onto the beach, just before the ancient stairway. Escaflowne's metallic feet barely touched the ground.
"Go!" Van shouted. Celena swung her legs around the saddle and leapt off, drawing her sword as she landed. She gave Van a glance showing that she was alright, then started her race up the steps.
He looked after her. Good luck, Celena, he thought. His thoughts were broke as he saw a Zaibach unit closing in on him. He launched Escaflowne's sword from its belly and grasped it in its fore claw. He pulled the reins once more, flapping his Melef's fabric wings and ascending into the sky. The Zaibach enemy barely missed him as he lead him away from Celena.
* * *
"Ah, I love the sound of battle," Ashira mused aloud. "The clash of swords is music to my ears."
But still no sight of her. Just Guymelefs flying down from the Asturian leviships. She noticed Van flying his Ispano Guymelef in its infamous dragon-form, slashing her soldiers with its sword. She would have assumed that she would be with him, but he remained passenger-less.
Something small and white caught her eye and she observed the battle from the floating fortress. She focused to see a lone dove fluttering above en route to the island. Seeing the bird made her aware of her feelings of peace. Why are these emotions coming now? In the heat of war? But she continued to watch it fly above the beach and into the island.
That's funny, she thought. I thought that those type of birds remain in forests. They don't migrate either. How could it be all the way out here over the ocean?
She collapsed into her captain's seat on the deck, still pondering about the dove. It seemed uncannily familiar…
Before her eyes, she flashbacked to a memory that the bird had triggered. That was a rare Kanaken dove and she had seen two in the same week… both times that involved Van and that whore…
She bolted from her seat, still not completely sure that she was right. How was this possible? No, it doesn't matter… she had told her men to expect the unexpected. Perhaps she should take her own words of wisdom.
She ran from the room, knocking over a soldier in doing so. "Ashira!" she heard Sekhmet shout. "Where are you going?"
"It's her! She's getting into the temple!" she barked. "We can't let her get the power of Atlantis! We only have a few minutes remaining!"
She broke the emergency lock on the side of the floating fortress, kicked the door down, and leapt from it. With a cry, she spread her wings, destroying her uniform.
"You're not getting it, Hitomi," she growled as she flew furiously towards the temple.
* * *
Hitomi tried to remain as calm as possible. She glided most of the time, not wanting to strain herself. She flew among the Guymelefs, who were aware of her transformation. She saw them edge away from her as she passed them. Was it because they were trying not to harm her? Or was it because they were afraid of Draconians?
She let it ease from her mind. It wasn't important now. All that mattered was getting to the temple. She only had at the most ten minutes remaining before the eclipse would occur. She looked up to see the Earth's moon inching closer in front of the sun, creating a crescent shape. Damn, she thought. Fly faster!
Her heart froze as she flew past the floating fortress, which had remained over the ongoing battle on the beach. Would I be too obvious if I went past it?
But it didn't look like anyone would take any notice of a little dove flying in the blue sky. She let out a mental sigh and raced to the temple on the side of the dormant volcano. She was really happy that she didn't have to walk it like Celena. It looked like it would take a much longer time. And time was not on their side at the present moment.
She neared the ancient building, noting the dome that she recognized from her vision. She winged her way and entered the small hole at the top where the beam of light would enter and strike the energists. She beat her wings to slow her approach to the ground and felt her body transform before her feet had even touched the floor.
Her body dropped heavily onto the stone ground, creating an echo that resonated in the emptiness. Her blood still rushed in her veins from the flight and change and it took her a few moments before she got used to herself.
Outside, she could hear the fighting raging on, the sound of swords clashing against metal. She prayed that Van would be alright, although in her heart, she wasn't sure of what was to come.
By looking at her clock and going by Earth time, she figured that she had about two minutes remaining before the shaft would enter the room. All she had to do was to wait patiently until her time.
"You thought that it work again, didn't you?" a sinister voice entered the room.
Hitomi pivoted to see Ashira leaning against one of the pillars, her wings folded and her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her heart dropped as she gasped.
"I fell for it the first time… when you escaped from that waterfall…" she continued. "But I'm not that stupid."
"Please," Hitomi said. "It's almost time… why can't you just let this happen?"
"Oh, I *am* going to let this happen," Ashira sneered. "I'm just going to kill you and take your place so I'll get it instead."
"But don't you realize that Gaea will be destroyed?" Hitomi asked.
Ashira snorted. "So what if it does?" she said. "I won't cry about it. And if it doesn't, then I will have the power of Atlantis at my command." She pushed herself off the pillar and walked towards Hitomi, drawing her sword as she came closer. "Let's end this," she smirked.
to be continued…
* * *
Whew! Ok, so here's my story. I bought the Escaflowne movie on DVD online because I found it for a rather good price. I failed to notice that it was imported from China. So I get it last Thursday and it really cheered me up. I was going to watch it on my laptop since I don't have a TV at the present moment, but my friend came over and said we could watch on hers. To make this intro short (too late), we went over to a guy's room and watched it and the English subtitles were AWFUL! First of all, almost everyone's names were wrong except Hitomi and Dilandau's. My personal favorite was Lord "Florken". oh man. And Van was Barm?!?!?
Anyhow, so this guy saw how sad I was and downloaded a fan sub version off the net for me. Not only that, he put a music vid and some episodes on it as well. SO as I was watching the music vid (Bush's Chemicals Among Us), I noticed them showing scenes and characters that were NOT from the show and I have never seen before. Which is impossible because I know the show by heart. I started freaking out. I showed it to all my esca friends here and they all thought it was from an Escaflowne OAV. I thought I would have heard about it tho. Turns out (thanks to escaflowneonline.com) that they were scenes from the Playstation video game. If anyone has information about this (plot, storyline, etc…) PLEASE tell me. I want to so play it. ^^
This chapter comes from the title of a song by How's Kelly, a band that I saw in concert in Valencia, CA. They are SO good.
One more to go!
Time. 11.06 pm
Music. Buffy the Musical soundtrack (really pathetic but I love Spike singing)
Chapter 18
Copyright. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne nor any of its characters.
Author's Notes. Oh… man… this took SO long to write. Bleh. I've had big projects to work on and I have to stop for awhile because I REALLY need to focus on all my final projects. They're gonna take a long time to do so RF is going to be put on hold. Sorry. It will be finished this winter break because mine begins Thanksgiving and is six weeks long. SO long!
Any hoo, I need to go study for government (bleh) so here's the next installment. BYE!
PS. Go to the end of the chapter, I have a really exciting story to tell.
The Vision of Escaflowne. Rota Fortunae
Chapter 18. Taken By
* * *
Celena sat uncomfortably on the Crusade's deck, nervously twisting her fingers in her clothes. The steady rhythm of the humming motors was the only thing that produced noise. Occasionally, one of the crew members would speak to another in a low voice, generally asking status about the ship's speed or whatnot. But for most of the trip, the atmosphere remained silent.
She stared ahead out the grand deck window, seeing only endless ocean. Before the sun had risen that morning, they had already flying for a hour, followed by numerous energist-welding ships from Asturia's army, each one containing soldiers, Guymelefs, and weapons.
Allen stood at the bow, his face cold and distant. She had never seen him this grave and serious before. Gaddes stood by his side and whispered something. He shook his head and replied in the same tone.
Merle sat by her side on the bench, her sharp nails clawing into the old wood. She's probably as nervous as I am, she thought. The cat-girl glanced at Celena, who gave her a warm smile and squeezed her hand.
They had been flying for four reckless hours, almost reaching their destination, and still no sight of Van or Hitomi. Where were they? Could it be true that they had traveled beyond the boundaries and returned to the Mystic Moon? And was it possible for them to come back to Gaea?
She leaned over and laced up her knee high boots. She was aware of an upcoming battle and did not want her formal dress to get in the way. She and Merle grabbed some breeches that they had found and quickly put them on, not noticing the size difference. She attached her small blade shaft onto her thigh and leaned back.
Although she was unconscious for most parts when Dilandau, she still could hear his manically laughter in the back of her mind. She had never told Allen this, in fear that she would have to undertake some more treatment to "fix" her. However, she discovered that she attained his skills at sword fighting at a subconscious level.
"Celena, you know you're not going out there," Allen muttered, not even turning around to speak to her.
She snorted. "That's what you think," she said.
"I meant it!" he snapped. "Your level isn't high enough to face these men. You're staying here."
"Just because I am a woman, doesn't mean that I'm not cap…" her rant was interrupted by a blinding light in front of the Crusade. Her hand went up instantly to block her sight from the radiance as it filled the room. As rapidly as it had appeared, it dimmed and disappeared. Celena, rubbing her eyes, ran to the windowpanes and scanned outside.
It took her a moment, but she saw a figure flying swiftly towards the leviship, Draconian wings beating in the wind. She recognized his black hair immediately.
"Open the hatch!" she commanded. "It's Van and Hitomi! They're here!"
* * *
The last thing that Hitomi had implanted in her memory was the vision of her family and friends waving good bye. It only lasted a moment or two, then she and Van merged into the light's energy. He was there, overcoming her with waves of concern. She replied with quick answers that she was alright.
And then, the light disappeared, leaving them free-falling in mid-air. Hitomi was still in his arms, so he clutched tighter as he ripped off his shirt and released his wings. Their eyes adjusted to their surroundings; the cerulean ocean below and a garrison of leviships cruising towards them. Hitomi recognized it immediately.
"It's the Crusade!" she cried. "Celena kept her promise!"
Van held her closer to his body. "Hang on," he said. "It's going to get a bit bumpy."
He narrowed his wings and dove under the leviship. The wind produced from the propellers knocked them around a little, but he managed to keep on track. He came up on the side where one of the hatches opened.
"Fanel!" he heard Gaddes yell from the doorway. Van angled his wings and flew over to the access, where the Second-in-Command gave him an outreached hand. He grabbed it, still continuing to flap constantly against the wind generated from the propellers. Gaddes tried pulling them in, but needed the aide of his fellow mates. Finally, four men managed to pull in the King and the girl from the Mystic Moon. Van had barely a fraction of a second to draw in his wings before a scream echoed in the hull.
"LOOORD VAAAAN!!!"
"Oh no…" he groaned as Merle pounced him, knocking to the floor.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! GETTING UP AND LEAVING LIKE THAT?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME?! I'VE BEEN GOING INSANE!!!" she screeched, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him, her body pinning him to the ground.
"Nice to see you too, Merle," he replied calmly.
Hitomi laughed softly to herself, watching her fiancée lying on the cold metal floor completely helpless. Gaddes and the other crew members just shook their heads.
"It's good to see you again, Hitomi," Celena said from behind.
She turned to face Allen's sister and gave her a hug. "Thank you," she said. "For keeping your promise."
"Of course!" she cried. "Anything for the future of Gaea." She pushed back. "Are you alright? You went home, right?"
Hitomi nodded. "Something in the back of my mind drew me there. I knew I had to go." She paused. "I had to say good-bye to my family and friends."
Celena looked at her with sympathetic eyes, noting that Hitomi did not seem in the mood for talking about what just happened to her. Besides, there were more important things to do.
"So," she began, changing the subject. "What's our current location?"
"As of now, we are less than a hour away from Gahwindahn," Gaddes said. "We haven't seen any evidence of those Zaibach bastards… excuse my language, ladies… but there's no telling if they'll be there or not."
Merle finally removed herself from on top of Van. Hitomi reached out her hand and helped him to his feet, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek as she did so.
"Van, we took Escaflowne and loaded it onto the Crusade after you abandoned it yesterday," Allen spoke, his arms still crossed in front of his chest.
"Good, what happened after we left?" he asked, dusting himself off.
"As soon as Escaflowne had fallen, they just… stopped," the Knight Caeli scratched his head. "Ashira got back into her Guymelef and pulled her ranks."
"There was no point anymore to fight," Celena pointed out. "Hitomi wasn't there so there was no need."
"But that doesn't mean that they'll be waiting for us at Gahwindahn," he retorted.
"They'll be there," Hitomi said softly, staring out the side window. "I can feel it." Her eyes lingered for a moment. "When did the sun come up?" she asked.
"Awhile ago, why?" Allen replied.
"It's just that… when Van and I left, it was still afternoon here on Gaea, but on the Mystic Moon, it was nighttime. And when we left this morning, the sun hadn't come up yet. How is possible that Gaea is now ahead of schedule?"
"Wasn't Dryden saying something earlier that since Hitomi said that she can't see Gaea from the Mystic Moon, that somehow we're not on the same plane of existence? That time revolves differently on both worlds?" Celena asked.
That would explain a few things, Hitomi thought, then returned to her gazing outside. Her fingers instantly reached out for Van's touch, and he grasped her hand.
"I am grateful for all that you have done for us, my friends," he said to the others. "But would you mind if we were alone for a moment?"
Allen looked as though he would start to protest, but Celena grabbed his arm. "C'mon boys," she said gruffly. "Let's go see how much time we have left."
As the Crusade crew and passengers returned to the deck, he slid his hands and rubbed her neck.
"Mmmm…" she groaned, closing her eyes as he massaged.
"You're really tense up here," he noticed. "Is your back sore, too?"
"A little."
He hesitated, then took her hand, leading her away from the window. "Come with me," he said. Hitomi eyed him suspiciously, then followed.
He led her into a vacant sleeping room, barely furnished except for a bed, table, and two chairs. "Lie down on your stomach," he said, drawing her closer. She obeyed, easing herself onto the soft bed and crossing her arms underneath. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his index finger trailing down her spine, settling between her shoulder blades. "Here?" he asked.
She nodded, trying not to giggle at his feathery touch. He started to loosen her corset strings, but didn't bother removing the whole thing.
And then he started to work her muscles, slowly kneading her stressed shoulders. He worked his way down her smooth back. His massage had lost its strength after awhile, now more like gently rubbing her skin. They remained quiet for several moments, just listening to the motors of the leviship. Finally, he leaned over and kissed exactly where her wings would emerge.
"Van, I'm scared," she whispered, breaking the silence.
He crawled over her lounging body and settled himself between her and the wall. He stroked her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"It's alright, love," he replied, kissing her temple. "I'm here. I'll always be here for you."
She smiled, but it soon disappeared. "But what if…" she trailed off. Her fingers twisted in the fine gold chain carrying her pendant stone. "I don't know what's to come." As his fingers neared her face once more, she took them and kissed them softly. He entwined his fingers in her hand, feeling something round and metallic in her palm.
"What's this?" he asked.
"My grandmother's wedding ring," Hitomi replied, her eyes focused on it. "It's what Mom gave me just before we left. I forgot that I had still had it."
He took it from her hand and slipped it onto her finger. "Much better," he said, content.
She stared at her hand, the golden ring sparkling happily. She rolled over and stared into his eyes. "Why are you so good to me?" she asked softly.
He grinned and kissed her. "You're my girl," he said, pulling away for an instant.
She blushed deeply, then wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her as she kissed him deeply. "I love you," she whispered, running her hands in his hair, tucking some strands behind his ear. "I don't want to leave…"
Her sentence was cut short as her sight of Van suddenly turned to black. She reached out but touched nothing. She cried out his name but no one answered. Where am I, she wondered. Am I having a vision?
A soft glow radiated in the darkness caught her attention. She shielded her eyes as it overtook her, illuminating the room that she now stood in. As she adjusted to the light, she observed her new surroundings.
She stood in what seemed to be an ancient place of worship. Strong pillars of old stone held aloft a magnificent dome, painted with an epic mural, but dulled due to the exposure of centuries. Hitomi gazed heavenwards, depicting the images that clustered together. She saw the Mystic Moon, the moon, Gaea, and the other familiar planets that she was used to seeing in solar system charts. However, Gaea was somewhat left out of the norm, almost as if it were excluded from the others.
As if it was blocked out from outside contact, she thought. This is telling me about the Day of Revelation. She noticed foreign hieroglyphics carved into each pillar and the walls surrounding the round room she stood in. As she grazed her fingers over the worn indentations, she studied the ceiling once more. Centered and the main point of focus of the mural was the obvious figure of a young woman, clad in formfitting white robes and Draconian wings spread wide. Her palms were facing upwards as a pink stone settled in the middle of her chest. Her peaceful eyes remained closed, though Hitomi knew her without needing to know the color of her irises.
That's me…
Suddenly, she was aware of another presence in the room. Her eyes scanned the area quickly. "Anyone there?!" she cried out.
As the last note of her voice rang out in the emptiness, she heard heavy footsteps stop just behind her. She turned sharply and stared unbelievably at a familiar person….
"Folken…" she whispered.
* * *
Van backed away as Hitomi's body suddenly went rigid, her eyes staring blankly into space. This vision didn't seem to be causing her pain, so he grasped her hand and moved her so that her head lay in his lap.
Come back to me soon, he thought as he rubbed her temples.
* * *
She had never seen a person at peace as much as Folken seemed to be. He wore simple Fanelian clothing similar to Van's, his white wings folded at his sides. He smiled gently at her.
She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, a few stray tears trailing down her cheeks. He returned it to her, stroking her head as he hugged her.
She looked up at him curiously. "Folken?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"
He shook his head and brought a finger to his lips, signaling to her that he could not speak. She nodded that she understood.
"Why am I here?" she asked. Folken broke away from their embrace, pointing to the small hole in the domed ceiling. Hitomi followed his gestured and looked up. The noonday sun that had settled directly above the temple was soon blocked by some obstruction, causing an eclipse. It focused through the small opening as a narrow shaft of light entered the room and hit a drag-energist buried in the floor, deflecting the ray to another stone in one of the pillars. Hitomi suddenly realized that the room was littered with energists everywhere.
The shaft of sunlight traveled across the room, leaving behind a pink beam leading to the next stone. Hitomi was suddenly trapped inside the circle as the light enclosed her in. The light hit the pendant stone on the painted figure of her on the dome and traveled straight towards her. Hitomi brought her arms up to protect herself as the pink light overwhelmed her.
It never reached her. Instead, she found herself in the arms of Folken once more, his deep mahogany eyes staring into hers. They seemed to ask her if she knew what to do now. He grasped her pendant surrounding her neck.
She touched the smooth stone and returned her gaze to his. "I understand, Folken," she said. "Thank you."
He smiled again and held her head gently, kissing her forehead. It seemed so strange; Folken's touch was so much like Van's that it was rather awkward.
And as mysterious as he appeared, he was gone, leaving her alone once more. The temple faded away from her sight, returning her to the land of darkness. She could hear someone gentle calling her name from the distance.
"Hitomi… wake up…"
* * *
Van sighed in relief as Hitomi's eyes fluttered to life. He continued to stroke her cheek, looking down at her. "Thank the gods," he said. "Are you alright?"
She groaned, gazing upwards at him. "Yeah," she muttered as he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "How long have I been out?"
"Twenty minutes or so," he replied. "What did you see?"
"I was in the temple on Gahwindahn," she said. "He showed me how I was supposed to receive the power of Atlantis."
"Such as?"
"It's going to happen at noon. The sun will hit the energists in the temple and get directed to me and the pendant
Van was confused. "Who showed you?"
She sat up in bed and straightened herself. "Your brother," she said. "Folken showed me what I needed to do once I get to the island."
Van's eyes widened. "Folken…" he murmured. "How… how was he?"
Hitomi looked at him and smiled. "He's good, Van," she replied. "He's at peace… you don't have to worry."
Van's shoulders eased. "Good…"
"Hitomi! Van!" the Crusade's intercom cracked to life with Gaddes' voice. "Gahwindahn is in our sight. We'll be there in 20 minutes!"
Van punched the button. "We'll be there in a minute," he shouted back. He turned to Hitomi. "Are you ready?"
She took a deep breath. This is what you've been waiting for your entire life, she told herself. And now it is time.
"Yes."
* * *
Somehow, Hitomi thought that Gahwindahn would be a little smaller than what she perceived it to be. From the air, she could the entire perimeters. The island was part of a chain, surrounded by several other smaller masses of land. She could see the hollowed volcano that Van spoke of a few days earlier, part of it under the ocean and creating a crescent shape.
"Crap!" she heard one of the Crusade crew members spit out.
"What is it, Palu?" Allen asked sharply.
"Zaibach floating fortress is in the bay area!" he shouted back. "They're blocking the entrance to the temple steps. And there's a bunch of Guymelefs on the beach! This doesn't look good, Commander."
"Damn!" Allen cursed. "How many do you see on the beach?"
"Ummm… I'd say about 30 units…" Palu trailed off as he looked through the periscope. "Maybe a few more."
"We have enough for a frontal assult, Commander," Gaddes said. "We have the Asturian army with us."
"It's not that…" Allen replied, rubbing his chin. "If that's the only way to get into the temple, how are we going to get Hitomi inside?"
"You're right," Van agreed. "She can't go down there with the Guymelefs. She'll be an easy target…"
"Van…" Hitomi whispered, but he didn't hear her.
"…maybe if there is some way we can create a diversion or something that she could slip inside but…"
"Van," she spoke louder.
"Yes?"
Hitomi straightened. "I have an idea that may work," she spoke.
* * *
"Asturian leviships spotted at 35 degrees above sea level, ma'am," a Zaibach technician announced.
Right on schedule… Ashira thought as she tied her golden hair back tightly. "Hold the Melef units steady until they come close enough to attack."
"Why didn't you activate their stealth cloaks, Ashira?" Sekhmet's voice growled. "It would make things a lot easier."
"Where's the fun in that?" she replied smugly. "Besides, they're expecting us and there's no other way for that bitch to get into the temple without passing us."
She returned her attention to the incoming fleet. "Keep your eyes open, men!" she shouted. "Expect the unexpected!"
* * *
"I don't know…" Allen slouched in his captain's seat. "I don't like it. It's too risky."
"But it might work, right?" Hitomi stared at him, her eyes and heart determined.
He looked up and met her gaze. "Are you up for doing it?" he asked. "Do you actually know what you're doing?"
She paused. "Not exactly," she said slowly. "But if I don't try, then what else can we do?" She glanced over at Van, who seemed almost as unhappy as the Knight. "You know it will work," she said to him. "We did it before and caught past them. Why wouldn't it work again?"
"Because now they might be expecting something like this, Hitomi!" he snapped. "Ashira is aware that somehow we escaped from the waterfall…"
"…but she doesn't know *how* we escaped," she cut him off angrily. "Van, this is our only chance in getting in. We have maybe twenty minutes to a half-hour remaining before the eclipse happens." She touched his hand. "You're just going to have to trust me."
His arms remained crossed as she touched them gently. "Please, Van," she whispered. "I'll be alright… you just have to trust me…"
Van looked at her and sighed loudly. "Gods, I hate it when you do this…" he said finally. He looked at the Crusade crew. "Alright! Prepare for leaving! All flying Guymelefs are to protect Hitomi!"
"I still don't like this," Allen muttered.
"Too bad, brother… I'm going down there," Celena said loudly.
"No, you're not! That's an order!"
"Wait, wait, wait…" Van broke into the brotherly/sisterly fight. "You want to go down there?"
"I want to help out in some way," she pleaded. "I still know the skills that Dilandau learned that would allow me to fight… But my dearest brother won't even let me leave the Crusade!"
Van thought for a moment. "Would you mind accompanying Hitomi to make sure that she's protected?" he asked.
"What?!" both Allen and Celena shouted, although it different tones.
"You can fly down with one of the Guymelefs and, when you have a break, run up the steps to where the temple is. Hitomi should already be inside… I'm just asking to make sure that no one else goes up there."
"I can do that," Celena said, her voice a bit scared. She looked at Allen. "Unless, he doesn't want me to do it."
Allen sighed. "I'm not going to win this fight, am I?"
"Nope."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, go with Van on Escaflowne. I'll send fighters along with you so that you'll be protected." He turned to the others. "Let's go!"
* * *
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Van held Hitomi close and looked deeply into her. They stood in the Guymelef holding area as men ran to and fro to their Melefs.
She nodded. "Just hold me, ok?" she whispered.
Van pulled her into him, enveloping her with muscular arms. She kissed him on the cheek. "I love you," she said into his ear. "I'll always love you." With that, she closed her eyes.
Van felt her disappear as her body changed. His eyes remained close tight until he was sure that she was done. He opened his eyes to see that he was no longer holding his love, but a white dove with trailing tail feathers. He smiled at her and lifted her up closer to his face.
"How do you feel?" he asked the bird.
He heard Hitomi answer him, but it entered directly into his mind. a little tired… but i'm fine…
She ruffled her feathers and looked at him. so how do i look?
He grinned. "Perfect." He walked over to the edge where the door had been lowered, waiting for departure from the sitting Melefs. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her back. "Do you remember how to fly?" he asked.
The dove nodded. "First Melef unit, move out!" he shouted.
The sudden rush of the first wave filled the room with a wind storm. Van clutched onto Hitomi as the Guymelefs flew out of the Crusade. He noticed the other Guymelefs leaving the hangers of the other leviships in their army.
He sighed. "You ready?" he asked.
yes…
He ignored his heavy heart as he gently let go of her. Hitomi spread her wings and followed the flying Guymelefs, gliding on the wind currents. He sighed as a hand touched his shoulder.
"I'll make sure nothing happens to her, Van," Celena said softly.
He looked at her. "Let's go," he said.
* * *
"Alright," Van said as he held Escaflowne's reins. "All you have to do is climb the steps up to the temple. I'll stop on the beach and you jump off and run. Got it?"
Celena nodded as she held onto his waist. He pulled the right lead up and Escaflowne dove rapidly down to the already raging battle. Celena watched in horror as Guymelefs destroyed one another on the war field. One Zaibach soldier shot a Crima Claw at them, but Van manage to maneuver Escaflowne and avoid it.
They landed roughly onto the beach, just before the ancient stairway. Escaflowne's metallic feet barely touched the ground.
"Go!" Van shouted. Celena swung her legs around the saddle and leapt off, drawing her sword as she landed. She gave Van a glance showing that she was alright, then started her race up the steps.
He looked after her. Good luck, Celena, he thought. His thoughts were broke as he saw a Zaibach unit closing in on him. He launched Escaflowne's sword from its belly and grasped it in its fore claw. He pulled the reins once more, flapping his Melef's fabric wings and ascending into the sky. The Zaibach enemy barely missed him as he lead him away from Celena.
* * *
"Ah, I love the sound of battle," Ashira mused aloud. "The clash of swords is music to my ears."
But still no sight of her. Just Guymelefs flying down from the Asturian leviships. She noticed Van flying his Ispano Guymelef in its infamous dragon-form, slashing her soldiers with its sword. She would have assumed that she would be with him, but he remained passenger-less.
Something small and white caught her eye and she observed the battle from the floating fortress. She focused to see a lone dove fluttering above en route to the island. Seeing the bird made her aware of her feelings of peace. Why are these emotions coming now? In the heat of war? But she continued to watch it fly above the beach and into the island.
That's funny, she thought. I thought that those type of birds remain in forests. They don't migrate either. How could it be all the way out here over the ocean?
She collapsed into her captain's seat on the deck, still pondering about the dove. It seemed uncannily familiar…
Before her eyes, she flashbacked to a memory that the bird had triggered. That was a rare Kanaken dove and she had seen two in the same week… both times that involved Van and that whore…
She bolted from her seat, still not completely sure that she was right. How was this possible? No, it doesn't matter… she had told her men to expect the unexpected. Perhaps she should take her own words of wisdom.
She ran from the room, knocking over a soldier in doing so. "Ashira!" she heard Sekhmet shout. "Where are you going?"
"It's her! She's getting into the temple!" she barked. "We can't let her get the power of Atlantis! We only have a few minutes remaining!"
She broke the emergency lock on the side of the floating fortress, kicked the door down, and leapt from it. With a cry, she spread her wings, destroying her uniform.
"You're not getting it, Hitomi," she growled as she flew furiously towards the temple.
* * *
Hitomi tried to remain as calm as possible. She glided most of the time, not wanting to strain herself. She flew among the Guymelefs, who were aware of her transformation. She saw them edge away from her as she passed them. Was it because they were trying not to harm her? Or was it because they were afraid of Draconians?
She let it ease from her mind. It wasn't important now. All that mattered was getting to the temple. She only had at the most ten minutes remaining before the eclipse would occur. She looked up to see the Earth's moon inching closer in front of the sun, creating a crescent shape. Damn, she thought. Fly faster!
Her heart froze as she flew past the floating fortress, which had remained over the ongoing battle on the beach. Would I be too obvious if I went past it?
But it didn't look like anyone would take any notice of a little dove flying in the blue sky. She let out a mental sigh and raced to the temple on the side of the dormant volcano. She was really happy that she didn't have to walk it like Celena. It looked like it would take a much longer time. And time was not on their side at the present moment.
She neared the ancient building, noting the dome that she recognized from her vision. She winged her way and entered the small hole at the top where the beam of light would enter and strike the energists. She beat her wings to slow her approach to the ground and felt her body transform before her feet had even touched the floor.
Her body dropped heavily onto the stone ground, creating an echo that resonated in the emptiness. Her blood still rushed in her veins from the flight and change and it took her a few moments before she got used to herself.
Outside, she could hear the fighting raging on, the sound of swords clashing against metal. She prayed that Van would be alright, although in her heart, she wasn't sure of what was to come.
By looking at her clock and going by Earth time, she figured that she had about two minutes remaining before the shaft would enter the room. All she had to do was to wait patiently until her time.
"You thought that it work again, didn't you?" a sinister voice entered the room.
Hitomi pivoted to see Ashira leaning against one of the pillars, her wings folded and her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her heart dropped as she gasped.
"I fell for it the first time… when you escaped from that waterfall…" she continued. "But I'm not that stupid."
"Please," Hitomi said. "It's almost time… why can't you just let this happen?"
"Oh, I *am* going to let this happen," Ashira sneered. "I'm just going to kill you and take your place so I'll get it instead."
"But don't you realize that Gaea will be destroyed?" Hitomi asked.
Ashira snorted. "So what if it does?" she said. "I won't cry about it. And if it doesn't, then I will have the power of Atlantis at my command." She pushed herself off the pillar and walked towards Hitomi, drawing her sword as she came closer. "Let's end this," she smirked.
to be continued…
* * *
Whew! Ok, so here's my story. I bought the Escaflowne movie on DVD online because I found it for a rather good price. I failed to notice that it was imported from China. So I get it last Thursday and it really cheered me up. I was going to watch it on my laptop since I don't have a TV at the present moment, but my friend came over and said we could watch on hers. To make this intro short (too late), we went over to a guy's room and watched it and the English subtitles were AWFUL! First of all, almost everyone's names were wrong except Hitomi and Dilandau's. My personal favorite was Lord "Florken". oh man. And Van was Barm?!?!?
Anyhow, so this guy saw how sad I was and downloaded a fan sub version off the net for me. Not only that, he put a music vid and some episodes on it as well. SO as I was watching the music vid (Bush's Chemicals Among Us), I noticed them showing scenes and characters that were NOT from the show and I have never seen before. Which is impossible because I know the show by heart. I started freaking out. I showed it to all my esca friends here and they all thought it was from an Escaflowne OAV. I thought I would have heard about it tho. Turns out (thanks to escaflowneonline.com) that they were scenes from the Playstation video game. If anyone has information about this (plot, storyline, etc…) PLEASE tell me. I want to so play it. ^^
This chapter comes from the title of a song by How's Kelly, a band that I saw in concert in Valencia, CA. They are SO good.
One more to go!