A big THANK YOU is extended to all my readers!  You guys are great!

Author Notes:

Wow, we've finally hit the end of the series.  I can hardly believe this thing took seventeen chapters.  In my original outline it was seven and it extended well beyond the series.  Of course in my original outline Eries wasn't a catgirl and she wasn't pursuing Folken either.  Way back when I first gained an interest in writing an Eries fic it was going to be an Eries/Gaddes romance because I thought of all the secondary characters they'd look the best together.  How very shallow of me.

A few things obviously got changed around during the development, and this fic that got its birth from such shallow waters has certainly expanded into something much deeper, I think.  And a much larger project than I ever intended to take on.

Writing a story that took place not just during the series, but actually interweaving without seriously altering proved to more challenging than I thought.  I can't count the number of times I went back to Escaflowne tapes to figure out when things happened.  From the attacks on Rampart, Fanelia and Fried to what time of day it was when Eries and Allen talked in the cemetery.  And how long things took was even worse.  What span of time did this series cover?  How long did it take them to get to the Mystic Valley?  And how long did Hitomi stay after everything was done before going home (those houses were getting along pretty well)?  And for that matter how long was she in Fanelia in the second episode between the dragonslaying and the coorination (was it the same day? a week later?)  An awful lot of guesswork went into this, cause I just don't know.  Does anyone have a good guess?

All that 'research' seemed a bit pointless at times.  After all Neko Hime was not about 'things happening'.  I'm terrible at writing about 'things happening' and try to avoid action as much as possible.  Even during the attack on Asturia, which Eries was there for, there was no action.  Neko Hime, like the majority of what I write, is about emotion and reaction.  People reacting to one other, to events that take place, to their own actions and emotions, and most importantly how it changes them.  And since this story is in the angst category it tends not to be for the better.  My stories have points, not good morals.

There was an except from John Milton's Lycidas I went back and added to first chapter which pretty well sums up the idea behind this fic, and the relationship Eries has with King Aston.

The hungry Sheep look up and are not fed,

But swoln with wind, and the rank they draw,

Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread…

Now, I know there will be a quite a few people growling about the ending.  Yes, I know you wanted Folken to come back to life and be with Eries.  But in end this story is about more about Eries and Grava Aston than Eries and Folken.  And I did spend an awfully long time integrating this story in the series and my desire to stay true to won out over all my affections for Folken (He is my favorite Escaflowne character, so it wasn't easy.)

So I suppose if you're disappointed with the ending you can try to interpret it one of two ways.  Both of which you have to realize that Eries' last sentence "It's all been made right" mirror what Grava said to her in the first chapter "It's all going to be made right." 

The first way thinks that this was a conscious thing, Eries has never forgotten what Grava told her and knowingly says it.  With this interpretation it makes for a nice clean ending.  Eries is saying: "It's over.  It's the end this chapter, to his effect on my life.  I'm going to move on."  And everyone is happy.  Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

The second way of looking at it, which is my preferred interpretation, is that it was an unconscious act.  I'd compare to the Western film "Unforgiven" where the ending is a cycle back to the beginning.  We have an entire story dedicated to a person trying to be a good person stay away from the evil that once/ could dictate their lives, but their actions keep leading them farther and farther down the wrong path and in the end they are corrupted.  Like Folken once said "Violence begets violence.  And the struggle begins anew."  This interpretation says 'bad things are going to start happening again'.  Why do I like this interpretation?  Well, just refer back to the Lycidas quote above.

If you STILL aren't happy with the ending, don't worry; I have ideas for a sequel.  I even have a much happier ending planned so I'll just end with saying 'please leave a review'.  Otherwise, due to limited time constraints, I probably won't continue with this.  Sorry for the ultimatum, but I'd like to know if it's worth it.

THANKS again for all your reviews up this point!   I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it.  I really did enjoy the journey!  --- Leila Hime