Episode Eight: Journey to the Golden Destiny

Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny

Previously on Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny

Our trio arrives in Asturia, reunions with Millerna, Dryden, and Allen. Talk to turns to the making of the Gaean Alliance again, though doubts are professed on whether the Alliance will stay together. Meanwhile, in Goshm, we find out that the Goshem leader was the Zaibach General...


:: Hitomi's Dream ::

She was near that jade lion again. She knew that the key was there but...

"Where is it? Where am I?" Hitomi said this aloud, never expecting an answer. She was shocked when she heard,

"In Freid, Hitomi." A woman's soft voice, Varie's soft voice, answered her.

"Freid?" Hitomi was now facing Van's mother, disbelief written on her face. "But... I don't want Freid to be destroyed!"

"The attack is inevitable. They know where the key is too, Hitomi."

"But, then how do I stop it?"

"Ask the one you love, to help you."

Then Varie disappeared.

:: End Dream ::

Hitomi woke up, staring at the roof of the room she and Van shared. Speaking of which... how had she gotten there in the first place? She looked around her quizically, seeking familiarity, when she turned over slightly, and saw Van, looking at her, ruby eyes filled with tenderness.

"So you're awake." Van smiled at her, arms around her waist, embracing her close. "I didn't think you would wake up for quite some time, Hitomi."

"How long have you been awake Van?" She smiled at him, and before answering, he kissed her softly on her lips, then on her forehead.

"Only an hour. Kirei came in to tell me we were going to arrive in Freid soon. I woke up at dawn, but when Allen told me it'd be awhile yet, I came back to go to sleep."

Allen's name reminded her of something. Five years ago... hadn't there been a girl her age with him at the end of the war? "Van..." she said softly, "I must tell you something, but I just noticed."

"Noticed what Hitomi?" Van looked at her, ruby meeting sea-green.

"Wasn't there... wasn't there a girl with Allen? Five years ago? Something had happened." She looked at Van. "Do you remember?"

Van was sort of confused. She couldn't possibly mean Eiries, she is Allen's age, Van debated in his mind, and Millerna has married Dryden. Hitomi knows that. Merle was in Fanelia when she left so... "Oh! You mean Celena!"

"Van, who is Celena?" Hitomi looked at him.

"Allen's sister," seeing the upcoming question in his love's eyes, he quickly added, "she is in Freid for a vacation." He gazed at Hitomi, hugging her closer. He would never lose her, no matter what the cost. "Now, what was it you had to tell me?"

Her sea eyes serious, she looked at Van. "The second key Van. It will appear in Freid. I had a horrible vision that it will be destroyed..."

"I know," Van answered softly. "I... I saw your dream Hitomi. The flames, and the lion..."

"And the guymelef. If you were there too, Van, you know what we need to do..." Hitomi buried her face in his chest, inhaling the soft scent of him.

"I know, Hitomi." They embraced one more time as they stood, to get prepared for the landing.


It had been over a month since the Schezars had been together. Allen had noticed his younger sister's stress, though he wasn't sure of the cause, and asked Chid if Celena could perhaps stay at the palace in Freid? Throughout the five years that the siblings had been reunited, Celena Ariunia Schezar had remembered little about her time in Zaibach, although sometimes she woke up from dreams in a dead sweat. At any rate, she seemed to have a brooding before Goshem had attacked Fanelia, so, thus, she was in Freid for some rest. Still, he would be glad to see her again. Hitomi's... appearance reminded him of Celena. Although he had been surprised at the girl's arrival, he was happy she was here... if just for Van. Allen showed a small smile as he remembered how passionately the young king had cared for her - to the point where he gave her up to... Allen himself.

He was struck out of his daydreaming by Gaddis voice. "Commander, we've arrived in Freid."


Chid Czar Freid, ruler of the duchy of Freid, and the youngest at only 11 years, looked into the harsh light of the sun as he made out the dark shadow of the Crusade landing. Turning to the side, and seeing a smiling man, Chid's most trusted advisor, Chid nodded to the man.

"They are finally here, Chid."

"I know, Callai, and I am glad. But this war..." Chid's voice was very serious. He had lost his father and his best friend for the sake of victory in war, and he had been very young at the time. He would never forget what war could cause.

"Duke Chid, you must not let this beat you. Wars end, like all other things. But for now, rejoice at the fact that you will soon be reunited with your friends. Fanelia's king, Van Fanel, is on the Crusade."

"Callai, I am happy that I shall soon see them again, and happy again at the fact that they are my friends. But the circumstances under which we met..."

Callai, sensing that this was a time to change the subject, inserted something quickly. "The Crusade is Allen Schezar's leviship. Perhaps we should inform Lady Celena Ariunia Schezar of her sibling's arrival?"

"Yes, Callai," said Chid, somewhat lost in his brooding, "I will meet them Crusade at the landing port."

Callai bowed to Chid, and he went to prepare the welcoming for Freid's honoured guests.


Celena Schezar was already waiting at the landing port for leviships, eager to see her brother. She had been in Freid for a month, but the fear of loneliness was still instilled in her, and though Chid had tried to stave that off, she had missed her brother.

She sheilded her face as the doors to the Crusade opened, raising a cloud of dust as the passengers began to board. She recognised Allen's form immediately, and threw herself on her brother. "Allen!" Despite the fact that Celena was nearly 20 years of age, she still had the happiness of a child when reunited with a loved one.

"Sister, it's good to see you again. How have you been?" Allen's rich voice greeted his sister, gently putting her down.

"Very well, brother. Freid is beautiful and Duke Chid has been very kind..." It was just then that Celena noticed her brother's companions. Gaddis and the others she knew, but...

"Hello, your Majesty," Celena said, bowing to Van politely. There was something that Celena never knew, that made any contact with Fanelia's young king, uncomfortable. Truly, she had no notion of what it could be, but she knew it was there. She felt uncomfortable anywhere now, unless her brother was there. There was a darkness that threatened to take her over sometimes... in her dreams...

She was snapped out of it when she heard footfall behind her. Then she heard Chid behind her, saying humourously, "Looks like you beat me here, Lady Celena."


Hitomi was happy to be in Freid. Though she wished it was under better circumstances, it was nice to see Chid again. She wondered, absentmindedly, if he remembered her...

"Good day, Duke Freid," Van's baritone voice had a hint of happiness in it, as he greeted Chid. He too, was happy to see the young ruler.

"I am very sorry for your loss, King Van. Please feel free to treat Freid as your own until Fanelia can be rebuilt." Chid's voice was solemn, but he smiled at the king.

"May I present to you, Chid Czar Freid, of the Fanelian contingent, Lord Kirei Avan de Fanelia, and, Lady Hitomi Kanzaki of the Mystic Moon."

With these words, Chid finally noticed Hitomi. The girl that helped him realize who he was, and what his future could hold. "Is it really you, Hitomi?" Chid's voice sounded like the child he had been - the child he should have been - when he asked Hitomi. "I can't believe it!"

"It is very nice to see you again, Duke Chid."

Knowing why she came the last time, Chid asked, to Van, Kirei, and Hitomi, "Is there a reason...?"

The smile on Van's face vanished. "There is a matter we need to discuss with you and your advisor Chid," he paused, looking at Hitomi, "alone."


It had taken many explanations to tell Chid and Callai what Hitomi was here on Gaea to do. At first there had been some confusion.

"Keys? You mean like the treasure key sword of Freid?" This was Callai, still confused. He had heard stories of the Girl from the Mystic Moon, but he never in his wildest dreams thought he would get to meet her.

"No..." said Hitomi, "Keys." She held out the silver key that was around her neck, close to the pendant. "There are three of them, and this is the Silver Key of prosperity. Chid... I had a vision that the third key will appear here. In Freid. But because of this," Hitomi closed her eyes, and Van stroked her hair comfortingly, "Goshem - they will attack for the key. Chid, is there a jade lion? We must hurry, and..."

"We must prepare for battle. We cannot let Freid meet the same fate as Fanelia." Kirei's voice was grim, "And we must not let Goshem gain even more leverage in this war."

"You are right, Kirei." Chid said this somberly, "And Hitomi, Van, the jade lion - it is, it is," Chid took a deep breath to steady himself, "There is a valley devoted to the past rulers of my country. If this jade lion is anywhere, it shall be there."

"Thank you, Chid." This was Van. "Kirei, and I, we shall help protect Freid."

"Thank you," said Chid softly.


The preparations were commenced quickly, and soon, guymelefs surrounded Freid's capital. Chid himself, having a guymelef, was prepared to battle, but with Allen's protests, and Hitomi's convincing, he decided not to. Hours later, after Van, Hitomi, Kirei, and the Asturian allies were introduced, Hitomi found herself worrying. Sitting in the room that Van and her had been given, she opened the balcony doors, and looked sorrowfully at the two moons hanging in the sky.

I miss them, Yukari and Amano, Hitomi thought sadly, and I miss my family too.... but they are long gone. If it hadn't been for that accident... Hitomi shook the sad memories out of her mind. She had something else to focus on but... I still miss them. I miss my home. Yukari, Amano, will I ever return to Earth?


It was dawn when Hitomi woke up. She had had a dream the night before, that the key would appear. Today. And, while she thought about this, lacing up her sneakers, she felt a huge blast rock the earth beneath her. The battle had begun. And it was then, that Hitomi spotted the lion. In her mind's eye. It was beyond the battle, a run that would be both a danger to her - and to Gaea. If she died... but Hitomi wouldn't let herself think about that. She sent her best wishes to her love, and prepared herself for the sprint of a lifetime. Getting the golden key, was the most important thing right now.


Good Day!

It's taken me awhile to write this, but the war is back again - and it is bigger than ever! I hope the war/romance/regular scenes in this were alright, I'm not the best author, and anyway, to me this chaper seemed somewhat... well not full of a lot. I hope you didn't think it was boring, but I HAD to build up to the second key, and then introduce Chid into the mix, and anyway, I DID put a LITTLE more Asturia (Allen) in, and I managed to squeeze in Celena too!

*Sighs* I don't really like this chapter. I hope it'll be better next time, AND if you're wondering about the title of this episode, "Journey to the Golden Destiny" it does fit. I never EVER said in the title that Hitomi would get the key. *Winks* But I hope you stay tuned!

Angelic1090
03.10.2001
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