Hitomi hissed through the rag in her mouth as Veris brutally tugged at her arm. He relentlessly dragged her as she stumbled through the garbage that littered the alleyway. Her legs, weak with disuse and hunger, ached as she tried to keep up with his fast pace. Her wrists were bleeding where the cord cut into her skin from the added tension from Veris pulling on her.

Desperation was setting in. The manic glint that had been disappearing from Veris's eyes was back in full force and with it an iron determination to finish what he had begun. He had ceased to talk to her and was now regarding her as a dangerous tool, one to be used and then discarded as quickly as possible. Veris had not said a word to her since he realized she was trying to trick him and reach Van for help.

Hitomi did not understand how Veris knew of her and Van's connection. She realized there was probably tales of her powers after the war, and Veris, before dragging her out of their hiding place, had mumbled a few words about how his research had paid off. Somehow he had connected what she was doing with her ability. The knowledge had sent him into a rage, cumulating in her being dragged through the back alleys of the city.

She dug in her heels and stopped supporting her weight in attempt to slow him down, but Veris just jerked her upright again and began to drag her. After a few paces with her dead weight holding him down, he spun around and backhanded Hitomi across the face. As she reeled back from the blow, he easily picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. Hitomi began to struggle and kick as she tried to scream through her gag. Veris ducked further back into an alley, avoiding some pedestrians and glared at her as he dropped her on the ground.

"I don't need you unharmed to do your job," Veris hissed at her, pulling out a sharpened piece of metal from within his clothes.

"You can work just as well without your fingers or toes," he continued and waved the rough blade threateningly under her nose. "Or even your ears."

Hitomi's eyes widened at the threat and she inched backward from him, trying to put some distance between her and the weapon. She scuttled back until she bumped into the wall, then lashed out as he came closer, kicking out with her feet and attempting to knock the blade from his hand. He growled savagely at her, leaping forward.

Hitomi's vision narrowed and black crept around the edges of her sight as she began to hyperventilate through the gag. As her rapid, shallow breaths denied her body sufficient oxygen, she began to feel as if she was falling and her efforts to fight became weaker. With one final kick her energy gave out. The last thing she saw before plummeting into darkness was a blur of pink and silver in front of her eyes.




Celena paused in her aimless wanderings through the hallways of the castle as a familiar sound reached her ears. She followed the sound of clashing swords to a nearby courtyard aglow with the light of the setting sun. The marble in the entryway was warm as she rested her hand against the arch. She stood in the shadow of the doorway and watched in astonishment as her brother and Phiat attempted to beat the tar out of each other. Sweat was pouring off each of the men as they circled one another in the quiet dusk.

Celena inched through the doorway, trying not to distract the combatants while puzzling why the two men felt the need spar right before dinner. She jerked to a halt and her breath caught in her throat as Allen lunged forward and nearly sliced Phiat's arm. Suddenly she wasn't so sure the match was a friendly one and boldly marched into the patio. Both sword-fighters ignored her as they circled each other.

"What are you doing?" Celena asked politely. Start nice, she thought to herself.

Neither man answered as Allen blocked another one of Phiat's assaults and threw him back. Celena backed up against the wall, watching the sudden flurry of motion with wide eyes. Swallowing hard, she held her peace until Allen began a vicious offensive. She watched as Phiat was backed into a corner, her heart in her throat.

"Brother!" cried Celena in fear, astounded by the fierceness of Allen's attack. Allen faltered as the cry sparked a memory of a similar one not that far in the past. Suddenly the match was over, as Phiat took advantage of his opponent's distraction. The patio was still as Phiat's sword rested at the blond knight's neck.

Allen dropped his sword, and nodded at Phiat. "I yield."

Phiat grinned and held out a hand, helping Allen to his feet. Allen stood, still gripping Phiat's hand.

"You have my approval," Allen said gravely and Phiat's shoulders relaxed, a hidden tension released. Both men turned to Celena, who was watching them in annoyance.

A crease formed between Celena's eyebrows as she studied the two men. "You were fighting over me?" she asked quietly.

The two men began to look uneasy as Celena's face darkened in anger. She put her fists on her hips and glared at them. "Oh, so fighting is suddenly the answer to everything? Huh, Allen? Did you decide the man who could beat you would be the best man for me? That I couldn't be trusted to pick someone?"

Allen looked slightly ashamed. Celena turned to Phiat.

"And you. You thought you were proving something by fighting him? Did either of you think about the fact that you could get HURT? Or what I would think about this? Did you consider me at all?"

They looked at her blankly.

She threw her hands in the air. "Men!" Celena turned and stormed back through the door.

Allen looked at Phiat. "Well, I think that went well."




Van cursed as he barged through the door, scanning the room for any sign of Hitomi or her abductor. The dim room was damp and foul with no signs of life save for a pile of rags in the corner and the remnants of a fire.

Merle skidded to a halt next to him. She took one look about the disappointingly empty room and then slumped, bracing her hands on her thighs as she gasped, trying to catch her breath. Their frantic sprint through the alien city had left her shaken and fatigued. Van had led them unerringly through the twisted streets, driven by an internal compass. They had swept by startled bystanders, ignoring the screams that Van's sword had invoked in the people unused to such weaponry. Miako had diligently stayed in their shadows, making excuses for them in the wake of their passage through the metropolis. Yukari and Amano had been left far behind as Amano tried to stay close to his pregnant wife.

Miako arrived at her side a few seconds later, his face flushed and his chest heaving. He glared at the empty room then turn his angry face to Van, who was inspecting the room, turning over objects with the tip of his sword.

"I thought you could find her," Miako spat at Van. Van abandoned his inspection, whipping around in fury. He took a threatening step towards the younger boy, disappointment and pain riding off both off them in waves. Merle leapt in between them, her arms outstretched. She stared each of them down.

"Can you two save that for later?" she snarled, baring her claws at them to gain their attention. "Hitomi is still..." Merle paused, lifting her head and sniffing the air. Dropping her arms, she bounded over to the wall on all fours.

"Hitomi was here!" she exclaimed excitedly. "And recently!" She stood, sniffing and spinning in a circle while Van watched expectedly and Miako with astonishment.

"This way!" she cried and bounded out the door, leaping over trash and bounding off the wall around Miako's stunned form, Van in her shadow. After shaking himself Miako followed in their footsteps.

Merle let her nose lead her through the alley, trying to distinguish between the myriad of smells emanating from the alleyways and Hitomi's weak but familiar scent. She paused in at the junction of two alleyways, letting her cloak slide off her head. Basked in the moonlight and glare of electric lights her ears twitched in concentration, giving a drunk loitering at the entrance the scare of his life.

Merle, oblivious to the effect she was having on the local alcoholics, gritted her teeth in frustration. Hitomi's scent had been faintly obvious to her before, but suddenly it was wafting on the breeze and the trail was cold. She circled the area, trying to pick it up again while her two companions watched hopefully.

Nearly in tears, she turned to Van. "I don't understand. It's like she disappeared off the ground! Her scent is gone!"

Van took a deep breath and cleared his head. But before he could picture the pendant in his mind, there was a crash from the alley to his right and the sounds of a struggle. Miako and Merle dashed down the alley ahead of him and stopped short at the scene unfolding before them. A visibly weak Hitomi fending off a violent assault by a cloaked man.

Miako stood, stunned as the cat-girl flew in front of his sister to defend Hitomi. The man did not appear tremendously surprised to see Merle and whirled around in time to counter Van's brutal offensive as Hitomi collapsed. Miako slid around the dueling men to crouch beside Merle and his unconscious sister. Merle had frantically pulled the gag out of Hitomi's mouth and was rubbing her chilled skin, desperately trying to stimulate a response. Tears were streaming down her face at her failure.

Van's gaze was hazed in red as he fought the man that had threatened Hitomi. The cloak fell back when the man jerked around and Van growled deep in his throat as dim electric lights reflected off his opponent's pale face. Recognition seared through him and Van immediately cursed himself for his oversight at their last meeting. An oversight that would not happen twice.

With a snarl, Veris launched himself at Van, swinging the rudimentary blade viciously. While Van had the advantage of a better weapon and was motivated by his anger, Veris was fighting for his very existence. For two years he had tolerated this bizarre and alien world, survived on the scraps of others and now was inches from returning home. His desperation was evident in his frantic assault. Van could hear words pouring out of Veris's mouth, a hopeless mantra pledging his success and return to Gaea.

Van struck and withdrew, twisting his sword to strike at his enemy. Veris was quick on his feet, able to avoid the thrusts with a speed that was as uncanny as it was frantic. However, even with his speed, Veris's weapon did not have the reach that Van's blade did and it was quickly becoming apparent who would be the victor in the match. With a cry bordering on hysteria, Veris flung himself at Van in one last attempt to strike. Van spun out of the way and followed the motion through with his sword. There was a sickening resistance to the motion and Van watched in fascinated horror as Veris impaled himself on the sword.

Plucking his sister from the cold ground, Miako stood up with Merle. He turned in time to see Van run the other man through with his sword. Bile rose in the back of his throat and Miako fought his nausea as the man's blood gushed forth onto the dirty cement. He glanced at Merle, who looked disgusted but not surprised at the kidnapper's violent end.

'Is this how life is on their world?' Miako suddenly thought. 'Are people there used to this kind of violence?' He looked down at Hitomi's unconscious face. "Is Hitomi used to this? The sight and smell of blood?" He recalled Hitomi's hesitation over telling him the content of her experiences on Gaea and his heart was constricted at the thought of his gentle sister experiencing such horrible sights.

With an exaggerated slowness, Veris's body slid off the sword. Van panted for a second, swallowing hard at the knowledge that he had just killed a man. Despite the many times he had won battles with Escaflowne, there was a difference when the battle was fought hand to hand. The death of his opponent was made more real, more tragic. Van stared at the body for a minute before blindly wiping the blood from his sword and sheathing it as he turned to Miako.

Miako took a step back as Van turned to him. The battle had made Van more frightening to him and Miako did not want to turn his sister over to a murderer, even if it was in his sister's defense. He clutched Hitomi's still form to his chest, wishing Van would just go away. Finally he raised his head and met Van's pleading eyes. Van's arms were outstretched to receive Hitomi and Miako could not deny him, knowing how Hitomi felt. Gently he placed his sister in Van's arms and watched as the king knelt to the ground, gently murmuring words to Hitomi's unconscious face and running fingers along her cheek. Withdrawing his cell phone, Miako began dialing for an ambulance.

Merle watched with tears in her eyes as Van quietly pleaded with Hitomi to wake. A glow caught the corner of her eye and she turned, gasping as she saw Veris's corpse lit with a warm light. The light intensified and then disappeared, taking with it the body. Van looked at the bloody space briefly.

"He got what he wished for," he said roughly, rising with Hitomi and following Miako out of the alley to the street, where sirens were beginning to be heard in the distance. Merle pulled her cloak over her ears and followed at a slower pace.