I don't own Gundam Wing or Escaflowne. These are my interpretations of their characters. I don't want to make any money. Etc........
Clang! The two blades connected loudly, causing a surge of sparks form around the point of impact. Zechs could feel his muscles burning as he strained against the other warrior, pushing himself to his limit. A short distance away he could hear Allen also grunting under the exertion as the two warriors pushed against each other. Then they parted, drawing back only to launch another series of fast attacks and parries.
Slashes, thrusts, even downward swipes; all blocked and countered only to have the reposts stopped. The pair fought on, oblivious to the sleet which came down in thick sheets around them. Scherazade was an excellent suit, there was no denying it, but Epyon was the pinnacle of Baslam's Guymelef technology. Frustrated by his lack of progress with a sword, Milliardo stepped back, preparing a different approach.
"Are you ready to admit defeat?" Allen asked almost eagerly. Zechs found himself smiling. It had been too long since he had been in a fight he could enjoy. The Sanc Kingdom ordeal had been too full of stress, the stakes to high to be able to let lose. If he intended to become a Peacecraft, it would be good for him to let go one last time. If not, then this fight was to the death and he would have to relinquish control and thought if he wanted to win. Either way, it was in his favor not to hold anything back.
"You would like that, wouldn't you, Allen?" Zechs taunted, "But I am not finished yet!" As he finished speaking, he charged forward, yelling a battle cry. With his left hand, the Peacecraft heir brought Epyon's whip into play by swinging the wicked metal switch at Scherazade's shiny gold visor. Milliardo's hair billowed out behind him as he threw himself forward.
But Allen was fast and even as the metal spine flew threw the air, the Asturian Guymelef raised its sword and with a resounding bang the two objects collided. Milliardo's whip quickly wrapped around the blade and with a sharp yank, the sword was pulled out of the way and Schezarade was open to attack. Epyon continued rushing towards the enemy suit, its own blade cutting through the air towards his foe. As the tip of his weapon sailed towards the body of the Guymelef, Zechs thought for a moment that he had actually beaten the Knight of Caeli. Then, at the last possible moment, the Schezarade turned, twisting in a way that the prince had never thought possible, and Zechs found himself stumbling past his foe, horribly off balance.
With a sharp tug, Zechs found feel Epyon's whip being wrenched from his grip and even as he ran forward to regain his equilibrium, the weapon was pulled from his hand. By the time he had turned around, Allen had removed the cord from his weapon and was ready to face him once again. Milliardo tightened his grip on the handle of his weapon. "Not bad, Allen!" he called over the sound of the wind, "You are as skilled in a Guymelef as the rumors say. Your control over the suit is astounding!"
"And you, Zechs!" Allen called back, his voice almost drowned out by a clap of thunder, "I am impressed with your abilities as well! You are better than even I expected. However, it won't be enough."
Milliardo smiled, raising his sword in front of his face perpendicular to the ground. "We will see, won't we?" Behind the Asturian he could see two other Guymelefs in the middle of a duel not far off. One of them appeared to be Baslam, the other Asturian. Zechs watched for a moments, admiring the pilots' skill. It was obvious that both fighters were veterans for they moved and fought like soldiers of the highest caliber though which one was better Milliardo could not determine.
Allen, oblivious to the spectacle behind him and seeing the other warrior's hesitance, called out, "Are you ready to continue our fight or are you prepared to give up?"
"Not a chance!" the platinum blonde warrior yelled back, running forward to face his opponent yet again.
With a crash the two knights continued their conflict and Zechs once again relied on the skills and reflexes he had finely toned during the Gaea War. Back and forth the two suits weaved, dancing their waltz of death. The two Guymelefs were a blur, moving back and forth, all the while sending a shower of sparks and filling the air with the resounding sound of metal colliding with metal. As the duel went on, Zechs continued to push himself to his fullest potential, bringing every ounce of skill he had into play. Slowly, Allen was pushed back, his seemingly endless supply of energy slowly being worn down, so that several minutes later the match was beginning to draw to a close.
Milliardo was breathing hard now, his hands long since having gone numb from the cold and the rain. His arms, legs, and back ached from overuse and his heart pounded, desperately pumping much needed oxygen to his burning muscles. But he was winning, there was no doubt of that. Allen's strokes were becoming more and more sloppy, his defenses beginning to break down.
Occasionally, Zechs would pause for a moment and see that the other conflict which had spotted earlier was still going on. The blue and plum colored suits were still going at it and neither had displayed a serious advantage of yet. Pushing the nagging thought that he was missing something out of his mind, Milliardo focused on the battle at hand.
As he swung his blade, putting what force he had left into his attacks, Allen seemed to lose his footing on the muddy soil. The Scherazade slipped, its legs coming out from under it, and slowly tumbled backwards towards the ground. Seizing what might be his only opportunity to achieve victory, Zechs launched Epyon into the air, his blade raised high. Time seemed to slow as he sailed upwards and even as he shifted his blade for the kill he glanced over at the other duel. Another two Guymelefs had entered the fray, on the side of Baslam, and the three suits were closing in on the outnumbered purple armor.
Looking back down, Milliardo saw that Allen was wide open to attack, having not even hit the ground yet. As he twisted his sword so that the tip was pointing downwards, Zechs suddenly realized what was happening. This was the trap he had fallen for the last time he had fought Allen, the duel right before he had returned to Baslam. Yes, he saw it now. Scherazade's sword seemed so far away, so removed that it seemed to be of no consequence, yet less than a second before Epyon came down the enemy Guymelef would roll out of the way and bring it to his throat before he could react. On foot the move would be impossible to prevent at the point he was at, but Allen had forgotten that Zechs was in his natural environment: his personal Guymelef.
The entire chain of thought having taken less than a second, Zechs had already decided on his course of action by the time the enemy suit hit the ground. As Epyon plunged downwards, the Baslam Knight released the handle of the sword with one hand. Lightening Count had a millisecond to take aim and fire before he hit the earth with a crash. As he had predicted, Allen had somehow had time to roll out of the way. The difference was that his sword was not in hand. It was pinned to the ground by Epyon's Chleama Claw.
So fate had selected him to be victorious after all. He would be Zechs Merquise the soldier for the rest of his life. So be it. With a roar, the Baron swung his blade towards the startled Scherazade. Time seemed to stop as the sword cut through the air towards Allen's suit, weapon-less and too surprised to react. Milliardo's hand was firm as he gripped his blade and prepared to finish his opponent. And then he heard a distant cry which made him stop short. "No! I will not lose!"
Zechs recognized the voice immediately; it was Noin! She was in danger. With a jerk which made his entire arm throb painfully, the warrior forced his swing to an abrupt standstill. His weapon slowed and finally stopped less than a foot away from Scherazade's body. Ignoring the shocked Allen, Milliardo quickly looked for the source of his beloved's voice. To his astonishment he saw that the origin of the cry was actual one of the Guymelefs which he had seen battling earlier.
Yes, of course! He recognized it now, though it had been too distant and he too distracted to identify it earlier. Mercurius, Noin's personal suit was in the middle of a conflict against three other Guymelefs. A battle it was beginning to lose. "Noin!" Milliardo yelled, launching into the air and leaving all thoughts of Allen and his conflict behind.
The russet colored suit shot through the air as if flying from the mouth of hell. "Please let me be in time," Zechs prayed, urging Epyon into greater speed. As he rapidly closed the distance between them, the knight was able to better assess the situation. Noin was surrounded and the three enemy Guymelefs were slowly moving in, cutting off any chance she had at escape. Any minute now they would charge and the Mercurius would be cut down, unable to defend itself from all sides.
As the lead suit moved in for the kill, Milliardo let forth a yell which seemed to pierce the darkness, drowning out the sounds of the rain and thunder. Even to his own ears the cry sounded like that of a man whose very soul was being ripped from his body. The shout had no words, only the desperate emotion which filled Milliardo's very essence. He would not let Noin die! In any case, the sound startled the blue suit enough to cause it to hesitate and it slowly turned to find its source.
"Too late!" Zechs thought to his satisfaction as he plowed into the lead Guymelef, sending it flying backwards. As if on cue, the Mercurius rushed forward, sword swinging. By the time the black spots had faded from Milliardo's eyes, one of the suits was lying on the ground, the other in retreat.
The mask to Mercurius opened with a snap and the Peacecraft heir could see Noin's face. Her cheeks were flushed and grime darkened her appearance. Her hair was soaked with sweat along with the rest of her face and clung to her skin. Her eyes were alight with the heat of battle and as she glanced at him, the young man could not help but think that she had never looked more beautiful. "I don't know who you are!" she called out to him, "But thank you for your help. I think I can handle it, though, so why don't you retreat to safer ground."
That was Noin all right; always independent and capable, ever thinking of others' safety before her own. Milliardo opened his mask to reveal his identity and could not help but smile at his beloved's look of shock. "Zechs!" the Asturian knight exclaimed.
Milliardo felt a wave of emotions wash over him. Relief, joy, desperation; all were mixed together in a powerful feeling which threatened to overwhelm him. All he knew was his love for the woman he would gladly spend the rest of his life with. "Lucrezia," Milliardo called back, his voice choked with emotion, "I am sorry that I left you. I think I am finally ready to be truly open with you. No more lies, no more half-truths."
"And no more running away?" Noin called back.
"No more running!" the Peacecraft heir reassured her, "Lucrezia, I promise I will never disappear on you again."
Before Noin could respond, a third voice interrupted the two lovers' reunion. Colonel Une's voice contained a cold anger which chilled the knight to the bone, "Zechs Merquise! Do not interfere. I will finish this Asturian," the venomous woman practically spat the word, "once and for all."
"You will have to defeat me first!" Milliardo called back, raising his sword.
"So you have betrayed us after all," Une snarled, "I was hoping that this would happen. Now I will have the pleasure of killing you myself. You have betrayed your country and your duke. For that you must die. As soon as I deal with your lover here I will take care of you."
"No," the Prince contradicted, his eyes flashing, "you will deal with me now."
"Zechs!" Noin exclaimed, her tone somewhat sharp, "I appreciate what you are trying to do but I can take care of myself. This is my battle. Let me fight it."
"Noin..." Milliardo murmured as the self-reliant woman pointed her weapon at Lady Une.
"Now, Miss Une," Noin closed her visor and took a battle stance, "Why don't we finish our duel."
"That is fine with me," Une smirked, raising her own blade so that the tip was pointing at Mercurius's throat. Before the battle could commence, however, a fourth Guymelef rushed up to the group.
"Sir Allen!" Noin exclaimed as the Scherazade joined the growing Asturian force.
"The Dragon Clan and Baslam forces are beginning to succumb. It is only a matter of time now before they are forced to retreat or surrender," the blonde knight exclaimed. As he spoke, the Vayeate began to take several steps backwards.
"This isn't over, Zechs Merquise!" Lady Une snarled, "We will continue our duel another day. You can count on it." As the lone Baslam Guymelef took flight, the Colonel added maliciously, "That goes for you as well, Miss Noin. We will meet again!"
Milliardo was about to jump into the air to pursue but Noin stopped him, saying, "Please, Zechs. Hasn't there been enough bloodshed for one day?"
The Peacecraft did not answer, but relaxed his tense body. It was over, or would be soon. He would not have to fight anymore. He would never again take a human life. Fate had given him his answer, though not in the way he had originally expected. He could serve Treize no longer.
Milliardo looked over at the Scherazade which was standing several yards away from him. Opening his helmet, he looked over at his former opponent's face. "Allen," he said as quietly as he could while still being heard over the rain.
"It's all right," Allen replied to the other knight's unspoken question, his unspoken plea. "It's all right, my friend," he repeated, looking into Milliardo's eyes. To his surprise, the Peacecraft saw that the other man was smiling.
"Noin," Milliardo exclaimed suddenly, "there's something I have to tell you..."
But before he could continue, Allen interjected, "And we'll be happy and eager to hear it another time. However, right now Van needs our help. I saw him flying overhead a few minutes ago and another Dragon Guymelef was hot in pursuit."
"Another Dragon Guymelef?" Noin asked, her voice full of disbelief.
"Yes," Allen confirmed, "and it was closing in on him. If we don't hurry something awful could happen to our young Fanelian ally."
As if punctuating his statement, Milliardo heard another voice struggling to yell above the rain. "Van! Van, where are you?"
Looking over at where he had heard the sound, the knight saw a teenage girl in unfamiliar clothing running against the rain. She was soaked to the bone and half blinded by the thick sleet which was poring down on them all. "Hitomi!" he heard Allen exclaim next to him. "Hitomi!"
"Sir Allen!" the girl paused and yelled up at the Asturian, "I think something terrible is going to happen to Van!"
"Did you have a vision?" Allen called out, bringing Scherazade to its knee next to her.
"There's no time!" Hitomi's voice was barely audible over a sudden clash of thunder, "We need to hurry!"
Sensing the desperation of the situation, Allen reached out a hand and gently scooped the girl from the ground. "It will be faster this way!" the knight explained, straightening. Turning to his two companions, the Asturian knight gave his orders, "Zechs, I want you and Noin to rally our remaining forces. I am trusting you two to lead us to victory."
"We will do our best, sir!" Lucrezia replied, saluting and turning towards where the remainder of the two armies were still fighting. As the two knights burst into a run, Milliardo could not help but wonder what the future would bring. However, one thing was certain. Now that he and his beloved Noin were reunited nothing could force them apart. Still... he had to wonder what had become of Treize. And Une; he was sure that he would see her again. It was only a matter of time before the Fiery One came after them. When that time came, he would be ready.
Hitomi blinked water out of her eyes as she searched desperately for any sign of Van or Escaflowne. The Asturian Guymelef struggled up the mountainside, now slippery as a result of the wet soil. A flash of lightening brightly lit up the scene but gave her no aid in her task. "Do you see him?" Allen called out to her.
"No!" Hitomi yelled back. As Scherazade shifted his grip on her, Hitomi felt something pressing into her side. The teenage girl twisted so that she could reach down to find the object which had caused her to be uncomfortable. To her surprise, Hitomi found that the item was inside her left pocket. Pulling it out, she saw that it was her pendant. Hitomi remembered that she had put the red jewel there after Trowa had warned her of the danger of wearing it while Heero was active. She had forgotten that it was still there and now she was thankful that she had chosen to keep it on her person.
The girl from the Mystic Moon quickly slipped the necklace around her neck. Though she believed Trowa's cautions there was too much at stake to hold back now. Closing her eyes, Hitomi tried to shut out the sounds of the rain and thunder, to forget the feeling of Scherazade's fingers around her body. She had to concentrate, Van's life depended on it. In her mind she could see the small red jewel which hung from the necklace. "Find Van," Hitomi thought as clearly as she could, "Find Van."
As her vision became more clear, the young seer saw the pendant swing sharply in front of them and to the right. "There!" she opened her eyes and jerked up her head. "Over there!" Hitomi yelled to Allen, pointing where the ornament had swung, "Van is in that direction!"
Trusting her instructions, Allen turned and began running in the direction she had indicated. They were coming to the top of a sharp rise and Scherazade practically had to climb in order to continue. As they reached the top Hitomi felt a sudden urge to look up. To her surprise she saw two shapes barely visible in the clouds above them. As she watched the two large objects flew closer and she recognized Escaflowne as the one in the lead. "Allen!" she yelled, pointing at the two Guymelefs.
As Scherazade turned to face the suits, Escaflowne soared directly at them. Hitomi had just enough time to catch a glimpse of an injured looking Van before the Escaflowne shot overhead, quickly followed by a similar looking dragon suit. Quickly turning her head to follow the two combatants with her eyes, Hitomi saw a strangely familiar scene before her. "Why," she exclaimed in shock, "this is exactly like my dream!"
"Van!" Allen exclaimed in surprise and horror at the other man's predicament. Below them she could see the remainder of the Dragon-Baslam army battling the Gaea Coalition forces. The occasional explosion or blast of flame still lit up the valley in small bursts. The screams of the soldiers doomed to die on the battlefield filled the air and Hitomi gagged, remembering her violent vision. The prospect of all the brutality that was going on below them was enough to make her ill.
Above the fighting Van and Heero engaged in their own battle and flame illuminated the dark clouds. Escaflowne dodged through the air, occasionally turning in an attempt to knock its opponent out of the sky but to no avail. The other dragon suit's eyes were glowing red, mirroring its pilot. Heero was closing in for the kill now and Hitomi realized it was only a matter of time before Van was defeated, either burned or knocked off Escaflowne to tumble to the ground below.
"Van!" she screamed into the night but her cry was drowned out by the sounds of war.
Clang! The two blades connected loudly, causing a surge of sparks form around the point of impact. Zechs could feel his muscles burning as he strained against the other warrior, pushing himself to his limit. A short distance away he could hear Allen also grunting under the exertion as the two warriors pushed against each other. Then they parted, drawing back only to launch another series of fast attacks and parries.
Slashes, thrusts, even downward swipes; all blocked and countered only to have the reposts stopped. The pair fought on, oblivious to the sleet which came down in thick sheets around them. Scherazade was an excellent suit, there was no denying it, but Epyon was the pinnacle of Baslam's Guymelef technology. Frustrated by his lack of progress with a sword, Milliardo stepped back, preparing a different approach.
"Are you ready to admit defeat?" Allen asked almost eagerly. Zechs found himself smiling. It had been too long since he had been in a fight he could enjoy. The Sanc Kingdom ordeal had been too full of stress, the stakes to high to be able to let lose. If he intended to become a Peacecraft, it would be good for him to let go one last time. If not, then this fight was to the death and he would have to relinquish control and thought if he wanted to win. Either way, it was in his favor not to hold anything back.
"You would like that, wouldn't you, Allen?" Zechs taunted, "But I am not finished yet!" As he finished speaking, he charged forward, yelling a battle cry. With his left hand, the Peacecraft heir brought Epyon's whip into play by swinging the wicked metal switch at Scherazade's shiny gold visor. Milliardo's hair billowed out behind him as he threw himself forward.
But Allen was fast and even as the metal spine flew threw the air, the Asturian Guymelef raised its sword and with a resounding bang the two objects collided. Milliardo's whip quickly wrapped around the blade and with a sharp yank, the sword was pulled out of the way and Schezarade was open to attack. Epyon continued rushing towards the enemy suit, its own blade cutting through the air towards his foe. As the tip of his weapon sailed towards the body of the Guymelef, Zechs thought for a moment that he had actually beaten the Knight of Caeli. Then, at the last possible moment, the Schezarade turned, twisting in a way that the prince had never thought possible, and Zechs found himself stumbling past his foe, horribly off balance.
With a sharp tug, Zechs found feel Epyon's whip being wrenched from his grip and even as he ran forward to regain his equilibrium, the weapon was pulled from his hand. By the time he had turned around, Allen had removed the cord from his weapon and was ready to face him once again. Milliardo tightened his grip on the handle of his weapon. "Not bad, Allen!" he called over the sound of the wind, "You are as skilled in a Guymelef as the rumors say. Your control over the suit is astounding!"
"And you, Zechs!" Allen called back, his voice almost drowned out by a clap of thunder, "I am impressed with your abilities as well! You are better than even I expected. However, it won't be enough."
Milliardo smiled, raising his sword in front of his face perpendicular to the ground. "We will see, won't we?" Behind the Asturian he could see two other Guymelefs in the middle of a duel not far off. One of them appeared to be Baslam, the other Asturian. Zechs watched for a moments, admiring the pilots' skill. It was obvious that both fighters were veterans for they moved and fought like soldiers of the highest caliber though which one was better Milliardo could not determine.
Allen, oblivious to the spectacle behind him and seeing the other warrior's hesitance, called out, "Are you ready to continue our fight or are you prepared to give up?"
"Not a chance!" the platinum blonde warrior yelled back, running forward to face his opponent yet again.
With a crash the two knights continued their conflict and Zechs once again relied on the skills and reflexes he had finely toned during the Gaea War. Back and forth the two suits weaved, dancing their waltz of death. The two Guymelefs were a blur, moving back and forth, all the while sending a shower of sparks and filling the air with the resounding sound of metal colliding with metal. As the duel went on, Zechs continued to push himself to his fullest potential, bringing every ounce of skill he had into play. Slowly, Allen was pushed back, his seemingly endless supply of energy slowly being worn down, so that several minutes later the match was beginning to draw to a close.
Milliardo was breathing hard now, his hands long since having gone numb from the cold and the rain. His arms, legs, and back ached from overuse and his heart pounded, desperately pumping much needed oxygen to his burning muscles. But he was winning, there was no doubt of that. Allen's strokes were becoming more and more sloppy, his defenses beginning to break down.
Occasionally, Zechs would pause for a moment and see that the other conflict which had spotted earlier was still going on. The blue and plum colored suits were still going at it and neither had displayed a serious advantage of yet. Pushing the nagging thought that he was missing something out of his mind, Milliardo focused on the battle at hand.
As he swung his blade, putting what force he had left into his attacks, Allen seemed to lose his footing on the muddy soil. The Scherazade slipped, its legs coming out from under it, and slowly tumbled backwards towards the ground. Seizing what might be his only opportunity to achieve victory, Zechs launched Epyon into the air, his blade raised high. Time seemed to slow as he sailed upwards and even as he shifted his blade for the kill he glanced over at the other duel. Another two Guymelefs had entered the fray, on the side of Baslam, and the three suits were closing in on the outnumbered purple armor.
Looking back down, Milliardo saw that Allen was wide open to attack, having not even hit the ground yet. As he twisted his sword so that the tip was pointing downwards, Zechs suddenly realized what was happening. This was the trap he had fallen for the last time he had fought Allen, the duel right before he had returned to Baslam. Yes, he saw it now. Scherazade's sword seemed so far away, so removed that it seemed to be of no consequence, yet less than a second before Epyon came down the enemy Guymelef would roll out of the way and bring it to his throat before he could react. On foot the move would be impossible to prevent at the point he was at, but Allen had forgotten that Zechs was in his natural environment: his personal Guymelef.
The entire chain of thought having taken less than a second, Zechs had already decided on his course of action by the time the enemy suit hit the ground. As Epyon plunged downwards, the Baslam Knight released the handle of the sword with one hand. Lightening Count had a millisecond to take aim and fire before he hit the earth with a crash. As he had predicted, Allen had somehow had time to roll out of the way. The difference was that his sword was not in hand. It was pinned to the ground by Epyon's Chleama Claw.
So fate had selected him to be victorious after all. He would be Zechs Merquise the soldier for the rest of his life. So be it. With a roar, the Baron swung his blade towards the startled Scherazade. Time seemed to stop as the sword cut through the air towards Allen's suit, weapon-less and too surprised to react. Milliardo's hand was firm as he gripped his blade and prepared to finish his opponent. And then he heard a distant cry which made him stop short. "No! I will not lose!"
Zechs recognized the voice immediately; it was Noin! She was in danger. With a jerk which made his entire arm throb painfully, the warrior forced his swing to an abrupt standstill. His weapon slowed and finally stopped less than a foot away from Scherazade's body. Ignoring the shocked Allen, Milliardo quickly looked for the source of his beloved's voice. To his astonishment he saw that the origin of the cry was actual one of the Guymelefs which he had seen battling earlier.
Yes, of course! He recognized it now, though it had been too distant and he too distracted to identify it earlier. Mercurius, Noin's personal suit was in the middle of a conflict against three other Guymelefs. A battle it was beginning to lose. "Noin!" Milliardo yelled, launching into the air and leaving all thoughts of Allen and his conflict behind.
The russet colored suit shot through the air as if flying from the mouth of hell. "Please let me be in time," Zechs prayed, urging Epyon into greater speed. As he rapidly closed the distance between them, the knight was able to better assess the situation. Noin was surrounded and the three enemy Guymelefs were slowly moving in, cutting off any chance she had at escape. Any minute now they would charge and the Mercurius would be cut down, unable to defend itself from all sides.
As the lead suit moved in for the kill, Milliardo let forth a yell which seemed to pierce the darkness, drowning out the sounds of the rain and thunder. Even to his own ears the cry sounded like that of a man whose very soul was being ripped from his body. The shout had no words, only the desperate emotion which filled Milliardo's very essence. He would not let Noin die! In any case, the sound startled the blue suit enough to cause it to hesitate and it slowly turned to find its source.
"Too late!" Zechs thought to his satisfaction as he plowed into the lead Guymelef, sending it flying backwards. As if on cue, the Mercurius rushed forward, sword swinging. By the time the black spots had faded from Milliardo's eyes, one of the suits was lying on the ground, the other in retreat.
The mask to Mercurius opened with a snap and the Peacecraft heir could see Noin's face. Her cheeks were flushed and grime darkened her appearance. Her hair was soaked with sweat along with the rest of her face and clung to her skin. Her eyes were alight with the heat of battle and as she glanced at him, the young man could not help but think that she had never looked more beautiful. "I don't know who you are!" she called out to him, "But thank you for your help. I think I can handle it, though, so why don't you retreat to safer ground."
That was Noin all right; always independent and capable, ever thinking of others' safety before her own. Milliardo opened his mask to reveal his identity and could not help but smile at his beloved's look of shock. "Zechs!" the Asturian knight exclaimed.
Milliardo felt a wave of emotions wash over him. Relief, joy, desperation; all were mixed together in a powerful feeling which threatened to overwhelm him. All he knew was his love for the woman he would gladly spend the rest of his life with. "Lucrezia," Milliardo called back, his voice choked with emotion, "I am sorry that I left you. I think I am finally ready to be truly open with you. No more lies, no more half-truths."
"And no more running away?" Noin called back.
"No more running!" the Peacecraft heir reassured her, "Lucrezia, I promise I will never disappear on you again."
Before Noin could respond, a third voice interrupted the two lovers' reunion. Colonel Une's voice contained a cold anger which chilled the knight to the bone, "Zechs Merquise! Do not interfere. I will finish this Asturian," the venomous woman practically spat the word, "once and for all."
"You will have to defeat me first!" Milliardo called back, raising his sword.
"So you have betrayed us after all," Une snarled, "I was hoping that this would happen. Now I will have the pleasure of killing you myself. You have betrayed your country and your duke. For that you must die. As soon as I deal with your lover here I will take care of you."
"No," the Prince contradicted, his eyes flashing, "you will deal with me now."
"Zechs!" Noin exclaimed, her tone somewhat sharp, "I appreciate what you are trying to do but I can take care of myself. This is my battle. Let me fight it."
"Noin..." Milliardo murmured as the self-reliant woman pointed her weapon at Lady Une.
"Now, Miss Une," Noin closed her visor and took a battle stance, "Why don't we finish our duel."
"That is fine with me," Une smirked, raising her own blade so that the tip was pointing at Mercurius's throat. Before the battle could commence, however, a fourth Guymelef rushed up to the group.
"Sir Allen!" Noin exclaimed as the Scherazade joined the growing Asturian force.
"The Dragon Clan and Baslam forces are beginning to succumb. It is only a matter of time now before they are forced to retreat or surrender," the blonde knight exclaimed. As he spoke, the Vayeate began to take several steps backwards.
"This isn't over, Zechs Merquise!" Lady Une snarled, "We will continue our duel another day. You can count on it." As the lone Baslam Guymelef took flight, the Colonel added maliciously, "That goes for you as well, Miss Noin. We will meet again!"
Milliardo was about to jump into the air to pursue but Noin stopped him, saying, "Please, Zechs. Hasn't there been enough bloodshed for one day?"
The Peacecraft did not answer, but relaxed his tense body. It was over, or would be soon. He would not have to fight anymore. He would never again take a human life. Fate had given him his answer, though not in the way he had originally expected. He could serve Treize no longer.
Milliardo looked over at the Scherazade which was standing several yards away from him. Opening his helmet, he looked over at his former opponent's face. "Allen," he said as quietly as he could while still being heard over the rain.
"It's all right," Allen replied to the other knight's unspoken question, his unspoken plea. "It's all right, my friend," he repeated, looking into Milliardo's eyes. To his surprise, the Peacecraft saw that the other man was smiling.
"Noin," Milliardo exclaimed suddenly, "there's something I have to tell you..."
But before he could continue, Allen interjected, "And we'll be happy and eager to hear it another time. However, right now Van needs our help. I saw him flying overhead a few minutes ago and another Dragon Guymelef was hot in pursuit."
"Another Dragon Guymelef?" Noin asked, her voice full of disbelief.
"Yes," Allen confirmed, "and it was closing in on him. If we don't hurry something awful could happen to our young Fanelian ally."
As if punctuating his statement, Milliardo heard another voice struggling to yell above the rain. "Van! Van, where are you?"
Looking over at where he had heard the sound, the knight saw a teenage girl in unfamiliar clothing running against the rain. She was soaked to the bone and half blinded by the thick sleet which was poring down on them all. "Hitomi!" he heard Allen exclaim next to him. "Hitomi!"
"Sir Allen!" the girl paused and yelled up at the Asturian, "I think something terrible is going to happen to Van!"
"Did you have a vision?" Allen called out, bringing Scherazade to its knee next to her.
"There's no time!" Hitomi's voice was barely audible over a sudden clash of thunder, "We need to hurry!"
Sensing the desperation of the situation, Allen reached out a hand and gently scooped the girl from the ground. "It will be faster this way!" the knight explained, straightening. Turning to his two companions, the Asturian knight gave his orders, "Zechs, I want you and Noin to rally our remaining forces. I am trusting you two to lead us to victory."
"We will do our best, sir!" Lucrezia replied, saluting and turning towards where the remainder of the two armies were still fighting. As the two knights burst into a run, Milliardo could not help but wonder what the future would bring. However, one thing was certain. Now that he and his beloved Noin were reunited nothing could force them apart. Still... he had to wonder what had become of Treize. And Une; he was sure that he would see her again. It was only a matter of time before the Fiery One came after them. When that time came, he would be ready.
Hitomi blinked water out of her eyes as she searched desperately for any sign of Van or Escaflowne. The Asturian Guymelef struggled up the mountainside, now slippery as a result of the wet soil. A flash of lightening brightly lit up the scene but gave her no aid in her task. "Do you see him?" Allen called out to her.
"No!" Hitomi yelled back. As Scherazade shifted his grip on her, Hitomi felt something pressing into her side. The teenage girl twisted so that she could reach down to find the object which had caused her to be uncomfortable. To her surprise, Hitomi found that the item was inside her left pocket. Pulling it out, she saw that it was her pendant. Hitomi remembered that she had put the red jewel there after Trowa had warned her of the danger of wearing it while Heero was active. She had forgotten that it was still there and now she was thankful that she had chosen to keep it on her person.
The girl from the Mystic Moon quickly slipped the necklace around her neck. Though she believed Trowa's cautions there was too much at stake to hold back now. Closing her eyes, Hitomi tried to shut out the sounds of the rain and thunder, to forget the feeling of Scherazade's fingers around her body. She had to concentrate, Van's life depended on it. In her mind she could see the small red jewel which hung from the necklace. "Find Van," Hitomi thought as clearly as she could, "Find Van."
As her vision became more clear, the young seer saw the pendant swing sharply in front of them and to the right. "There!" she opened her eyes and jerked up her head. "Over there!" Hitomi yelled to Allen, pointing where the ornament had swung, "Van is in that direction!"
Trusting her instructions, Allen turned and began running in the direction she had indicated. They were coming to the top of a sharp rise and Scherazade practically had to climb in order to continue. As they reached the top Hitomi felt a sudden urge to look up. To her surprise she saw two shapes barely visible in the clouds above them. As she watched the two large objects flew closer and she recognized Escaflowne as the one in the lead. "Allen!" she yelled, pointing at the two Guymelefs.
As Scherazade turned to face the suits, Escaflowne soared directly at them. Hitomi had just enough time to catch a glimpse of an injured looking Van before the Escaflowne shot overhead, quickly followed by a similar looking dragon suit. Quickly turning her head to follow the two combatants with her eyes, Hitomi saw a strangely familiar scene before her. "Why," she exclaimed in shock, "this is exactly like my dream!"
"Van!" Allen exclaimed in surprise and horror at the other man's predicament. Below them she could see the remainder of the Dragon-Baslam army battling the Gaea Coalition forces. The occasional explosion or blast of flame still lit up the valley in small bursts. The screams of the soldiers doomed to die on the battlefield filled the air and Hitomi gagged, remembering her violent vision. The prospect of all the brutality that was going on below them was enough to make her ill.
Above the fighting Van and Heero engaged in their own battle and flame illuminated the dark clouds. Escaflowne dodged through the air, occasionally turning in an attempt to knock its opponent out of the sky but to no avail. The other dragon suit's eyes were glowing red, mirroring its pilot. Heero was closing in for the kill now and Hitomi realized it was only a matter of time before Van was defeated, either burned or knocked off Escaflowne to tumble to the ground below.
"Van!" she screamed into the night but her cry was drowned out by the sounds of war.