I don't own Gundam Wing or Escaflowne. These are my interpretations of their characters. I don't want to make any money. Etc........
Van flew onward, his wings and heart pumping together, propelling him forward. Hitomi had been right all along and he hadn't taken her warnings seriously enough. Now she would pay for his mistake. The bitter teen frowned, scanning desperately for any signs of his trusted confidant. The wind blew his hair back, causing Van to shiver as his sweat went cold. There! A cloud of dust erupted on the ledge of one of the many outcrops. The Draconian twisted his body and with renewed haste, dove toward the disturbance.
As he approached Van could see debris from some sort of collapse in the bedrock. Van's keen eyes quickly caught sight of two people falling along with the pieces of stone and rubble. "Hitomi!" he screamed and then realized Merle was falling as well.
Quickly, Van twisted his wings and plunged downwards, flapping his wings hard to gain more speed. Van reached out a hand, straining to catch his two friends. Van twisted his body, ignoring the gravel and shale that pelted against his face and body. "Master Van!" Merle screamed. Extending his arm until it began to ache his, the desperate king stretched out a hand and managed to grab the cat-girl.
With his other hand, Van strained to grab his lover. "Van!" Hitomi cried as the ground came rushing to meet them. Van's hand was inches away from Hitomi's. His gloved hand approached hers. As the triad's free fall rapidly came to an end, Van's fingertips touched Hitomi's. With sudden speed, Van clasped Hitomi's wrist and spread his wings.
Despite the power in his muscular wings, the strain of carrying two people after free falling caused Van to bite his lip in pain. With blood trickling down his chin and his back aching, Van tried to gain momentum. For a moment it looked as if he might not make it, then with an agonizing wrench, he was up. Van let out a sigh of relief and, his pinion muscles throbbing, the King of Fanelia soared to the top of the ridge, landing heavily and setting his two passengers on the ground. Angrily, he looked up to see the boy Trowa exiting a Guymelef. His eyes were wide.
Trowa stared at the other Fanelia's king. It wasn't possible! The other teenager had two wings jutting from his back. To top it off, they were virtually identical to that of the inner circle. Though Trowa hadn't actually seen Heero or Wufei's wings, they only brought them out during actual battles, he knew for certain that Van's would have matched. Van was unquestionably a Draconian, his own flesh and blood.
The furious king stumbled towards him, his eyes flashing dangerously and Trowa thought they closely resembled that of High Lord Heero when his highness was in one of his nastier moods. "You!" Van snarled, "You've betrayed me! Why?"
Behind him, Hitomi coughed and struggled to get to her feet. Trowa felt the situation spiraling out of control. His orders were to find out whether Van was worthy of the stories attributed to him. Clearly he was. The advisable thing to do would be retreat and report to his lord. Despite this, Trowa found himself lowering his head and calling out, "I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to happen this way."
Van was clearly not impressed, "Yes, Hitomi and Merle were supposed to die! I'll make you pay!"
Trowa shook his head, "I was under orders. She was a security risk. Besides," he added, "that was before I knew that..." Trowa trailed off, letting his words hang in the air. "Why am I justifying myself?" he wondered.
"Before you knew what?" the other Draconian asked suspiciously, taking several steps towards his opponent. Trowa simply shook his head. It was time to leave.
"Nothing. Forget it," he found himself saying. Trowa retreated to the base of his suit. By now, Hitomi was standing and staring at him questioningly.
"Before you knew what?" Van insisted, wondering offhandedly why he wasn't attacking. Trowa chose not to answer instead he pulled out a long thin dagger. Though it wasn't necessary to perform the ritual before entering his suit after leaving it such a short time ago, Heero encouraged the brief ceremony to remind them of their heritage. Van braced himself for an attack but instead Trowa took the blade and unflinchingly slashed the palm of his hand. As soon as blood came to the surface, he stuck his hand in Heavy Arms' Energist.
"I am Trowa Barton. With this life force, thick with the blood of my people, I make a contract with you, Heavy Arms. Arise now," Trowa said, neither raising nor lowering his voice. As the ruby began to glow, he prepared to get into the cockpit.
Hitomi's eyes were wide in recognition and she was reminded of her first day in Gaea when Van had repeated a very similar phrase when first awakening Escaflowne. "Van," she murmured.
The young Fanelia king was also startled. "Could it be?" he said aloud as the various gears in the Guymelef went to work as Trowa and the suit became one, "Is Trowa Barton also a Draconian?" One thousand thoughts whirled through Van's head at once. "But that's impossible. I thought our people had all but died out. My brother and I were the only ones left. Is it possible that I am mistaken?" Van thought in amazement.
As the legs of the Guymelef turned inwards and attached and large amounts of steam began to escape from the bottom of the suit, Van sprang into action and yelled up at Trowa, "Are there more people like me?"
As Heavy Arms sailed forward, a single reply was almost drowned out by the noise, "Yes!" In a matter of seconds the suit and its pilot were out of sight and Van, Hitomi and Merle were left alone on the edge of the forest.
Treize Kushrenada was in his private study. He was dressed in his usual blue uniform with gold shoulder piece and large white lapel. Ever since he had been elected, there had been many changes and uniforms had been one of them. Many changes, Treize smiled, there would be many more adjustments but he was sure all of them would be beneficent to not just Baslam, but Gaea as a whole. That he was sure of.
A knock on the door caused Treize to stand. "Come in," he urged. To his pleasure he saw that the intruder was none other than his favorite officer, Lady Une. "Ah, Lady Une," he said smiling courteously, "what can I do for you?"
"Your Excellency," Lady Une nodded respectfully. She too was dressed in one of Treize's new ensembles, a plum uniform with a lace patel and gold epaulet somewhat smaller than that of his Excellency. Lady Une explained her purpose, "I have just received a letter from Sir Merquise. The messenger also reports that he was instructed to tell you that 'Asturia suspects.' "
"Interesting," Treize murmured, walking over and taking the letter from Lady Une, "It is not like Zechs to be so inpercise. He is obviously being distracted."
Lady Une said nothing but Treize caught a brief flicker in her expression. "I see your like for Zechs has not improved."
Lady Une replied quickly, "He serves you as do I."
"That is not answering the question," Treize commented mildly, "but please forgive my impertinence."
"An apology is not necessary," the female officer quickly expressed. Treize nodded and there was a pause as the lord of Baslam read the letter. After finishing he set it down and looked up at Lady Une.
"You wish to say something?" he asked lightly.
There was a short pause before Lady Une spoke, "With all due respect, your Excellency, why don't we have Zechs return to Baslam. He is becoming inefficient and sloppy. The longer he stays the more attached he will become. We are almost ready for our offensive. Soon no one in Gaea will be able to oppose you. We have no need to use such a strong fighter as a mere spy."
Treize smiled at his aggressive aid, nicknamed the Fiery One for her deadly offensive strategies and fighting style. "Not yet," he shook his head slightly, "I still want someone inside Allen Shezar's counsel. Also, I want Zechs to get a feel for what it is we are fighting for. The kind of peace he is experiencing is exactly what we are trying to bring about to every nation, not just those as rich and wealthy as Asturia. All people deserve to experience the leisure that Asturia's upper class can afford to live in."
"Aren't you worried he will not want to return?" Lady Une asked.
Treize shook his head, "No. I know Zechs, in some ways better than he knows himself. He has too many things he needs to achieve before he can leave us. The goal that drives him is one that will not be overcome. It has been his goal ever since I found and trained him."
"If I may inquire," Lady Une asked, her curiosity overcoming her formality, "what is this goal?"
Treize smiled to himself, as if it were a joke only he could understand. "Revenge," he answered, poring himself a glass of wine. Raising it in the air and tipping it in his colonel's direction he spoke almost to himself, "To the new order we will bring and the lives that will be lost attaining it."
Van flew onward, his wings and heart pumping together, propelling him forward. Hitomi had been right all along and he hadn't taken her warnings seriously enough. Now she would pay for his mistake. The bitter teen frowned, scanning desperately for any signs of his trusted confidant. The wind blew his hair back, causing Van to shiver as his sweat went cold. There! A cloud of dust erupted on the ledge of one of the many outcrops. The Draconian twisted his body and with renewed haste, dove toward the disturbance.
As he approached Van could see debris from some sort of collapse in the bedrock. Van's keen eyes quickly caught sight of two people falling along with the pieces of stone and rubble. "Hitomi!" he screamed and then realized Merle was falling as well.
Quickly, Van twisted his wings and plunged downwards, flapping his wings hard to gain more speed. Van reached out a hand, straining to catch his two friends. Van twisted his body, ignoring the gravel and shale that pelted against his face and body. "Master Van!" Merle screamed. Extending his arm until it began to ache his, the desperate king stretched out a hand and managed to grab the cat-girl.
With his other hand, Van strained to grab his lover. "Van!" Hitomi cried as the ground came rushing to meet them. Van's hand was inches away from Hitomi's. His gloved hand approached hers. As the triad's free fall rapidly came to an end, Van's fingertips touched Hitomi's. With sudden speed, Van clasped Hitomi's wrist and spread his wings.
Despite the power in his muscular wings, the strain of carrying two people after free falling caused Van to bite his lip in pain. With blood trickling down his chin and his back aching, Van tried to gain momentum. For a moment it looked as if he might not make it, then with an agonizing wrench, he was up. Van let out a sigh of relief and, his pinion muscles throbbing, the King of Fanelia soared to the top of the ridge, landing heavily and setting his two passengers on the ground. Angrily, he looked up to see the boy Trowa exiting a Guymelef. His eyes were wide.
Trowa stared at the other Fanelia's king. It wasn't possible! The other teenager had two wings jutting from his back. To top it off, they were virtually identical to that of the inner circle. Though Trowa hadn't actually seen Heero or Wufei's wings, they only brought them out during actual battles, he knew for certain that Van's would have matched. Van was unquestionably a Draconian, his own flesh and blood.
The furious king stumbled towards him, his eyes flashing dangerously and Trowa thought they closely resembled that of High Lord Heero when his highness was in one of his nastier moods. "You!" Van snarled, "You've betrayed me! Why?"
Behind him, Hitomi coughed and struggled to get to her feet. Trowa felt the situation spiraling out of control. His orders were to find out whether Van was worthy of the stories attributed to him. Clearly he was. The advisable thing to do would be retreat and report to his lord. Despite this, Trowa found himself lowering his head and calling out, "I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to happen this way."
Van was clearly not impressed, "Yes, Hitomi and Merle were supposed to die! I'll make you pay!"
Trowa shook his head, "I was under orders. She was a security risk. Besides," he added, "that was before I knew that..." Trowa trailed off, letting his words hang in the air. "Why am I justifying myself?" he wondered.
"Before you knew what?" the other Draconian asked suspiciously, taking several steps towards his opponent. Trowa simply shook his head. It was time to leave.
"Nothing. Forget it," he found himself saying. Trowa retreated to the base of his suit. By now, Hitomi was standing and staring at him questioningly.
"Before you knew what?" Van insisted, wondering offhandedly why he wasn't attacking. Trowa chose not to answer instead he pulled out a long thin dagger. Though it wasn't necessary to perform the ritual before entering his suit after leaving it such a short time ago, Heero encouraged the brief ceremony to remind them of their heritage. Van braced himself for an attack but instead Trowa took the blade and unflinchingly slashed the palm of his hand. As soon as blood came to the surface, he stuck his hand in Heavy Arms' Energist.
"I am Trowa Barton. With this life force, thick with the blood of my people, I make a contract with you, Heavy Arms. Arise now," Trowa said, neither raising nor lowering his voice. As the ruby began to glow, he prepared to get into the cockpit.
Hitomi's eyes were wide in recognition and she was reminded of her first day in Gaea when Van had repeated a very similar phrase when first awakening Escaflowne. "Van," she murmured.
The young Fanelia king was also startled. "Could it be?" he said aloud as the various gears in the Guymelef went to work as Trowa and the suit became one, "Is Trowa Barton also a Draconian?" One thousand thoughts whirled through Van's head at once. "But that's impossible. I thought our people had all but died out. My brother and I were the only ones left. Is it possible that I am mistaken?" Van thought in amazement.
As the legs of the Guymelef turned inwards and attached and large amounts of steam began to escape from the bottom of the suit, Van sprang into action and yelled up at Trowa, "Are there more people like me?"
As Heavy Arms sailed forward, a single reply was almost drowned out by the noise, "Yes!" In a matter of seconds the suit and its pilot were out of sight and Van, Hitomi and Merle were left alone on the edge of the forest.
Treize Kushrenada was in his private study. He was dressed in his usual blue uniform with gold shoulder piece and large white lapel. Ever since he had been elected, there had been many changes and uniforms had been one of them. Many changes, Treize smiled, there would be many more adjustments but he was sure all of them would be beneficent to not just Baslam, but Gaea as a whole. That he was sure of.
A knock on the door caused Treize to stand. "Come in," he urged. To his pleasure he saw that the intruder was none other than his favorite officer, Lady Une. "Ah, Lady Une," he said smiling courteously, "what can I do for you?"
"Your Excellency," Lady Une nodded respectfully. She too was dressed in one of Treize's new ensembles, a plum uniform with a lace patel and gold epaulet somewhat smaller than that of his Excellency. Lady Une explained her purpose, "I have just received a letter from Sir Merquise. The messenger also reports that he was instructed to tell you that 'Asturia suspects.' "
"Interesting," Treize murmured, walking over and taking the letter from Lady Une, "It is not like Zechs to be so inpercise. He is obviously being distracted."
Lady Une said nothing but Treize caught a brief flicker in her expression. "I see your like for Zechs has not improved."
Lady Une replied quickly, "He serves you as do I."
"That is not answering the question," Treize commented mildly, "but please forgive my impertinence."
"An apology is not necessary," the female officer quickly expressed. Treize nodded and there was a pause as the lord of Baslam read the letter. After finishing he set it down and looked up at Lady Une.
"You wish to say something?" he asked lightly.
There was a short pause before Lady Une spoke, "With all due respect, your Excellency, why don't we have Zechs return to Baslam. He is becoming inefficient and sloppy. The longer he stays the more attached he will become. We are almost ready for our offensive. Soon no one in Gaea will be able to oppose you. We have no need to use such a strong fighter as a mere spy."
Treize smiled at his aggressive aid, nicknamed the Fiery One for her deadly offensive strategies and fighting style. "Not yet," he shook his head slightly, "I still want someone inside Allen Shezar's counsel. Also, I want Zechs to get a feel for what it is we are fighting for. The kind of peace he is experiencing is exactly what we are trying to bring about to every nation, not just those as rich and wealthy as Asturia. All people deserve to experience the leisure that Asturia's upper class can afford to live in."
"Aren't you worried he will not want to return?" Lady Une asked.
Treize shook his head, "No. I know Zechs, in some ways better than he knows himself. He has too many things he needs to achieve before he can leave us. The goal that drives him is one that will not be overcome. It has been his goal ever since I found and trained him."
"If I may inquire," Lady Une asked, her curiosity overcoming her formality, "what is this goal?"
Treize smiled to himself, as if it were a joke only he could understand. "Revenge," he answered, poring himself a glass of wine. Raising it in the air and tipping it in his colonel's direction he spoke almost to himself, "To the new order we will bring and the lives that will be lost attaining it."