Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny
Previously on Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny
Though none of our players realize, the last key, the Crystal Key, is close at hand. But they are all busy trying to fight for what they hold most important. For Van and Hitomi, it is each other and the future of Gaea. For Kirei and Rallin, it is both for Gaea and their new lives. For Allen, it is to save his son's country, though he will tell no one of it. And for Hikeshi... it is for power, favour, and victory within the Goshem Ebony Clan Warriors.
[AN: This isn't really about the story, more just a note to my readers. Yes I realize that a TON of you might be mad at me for not letting Van finish the... you know. And Imajinator, when do I fit the kissing scene in??? They're in a battle here, and it's not like Van and Hitomi can kiss while they're flying and there are about a dozen guymelefs with a LOT of firepower after them...]
Hitomi cried out in alarm as she saw the metal claw shoot towards them. But before she could say another word, a sword - and a guymelef - blocked the stream of metal, striking sparks. Hitomi sighed in relief and recognition. "Rallin... thank goodness. How did you know..."
"Call it the aid of a necklace my Lady." Rallin swung, his sword forcing Hikeshi to reveal himself. Rallin sneered. "Are you so weak that you need to hide yourself and your soldiers to participate in battle? My soldiers did not need stealth cloaks," Rallin spat the word out as if it were dirt. "To fight a battle. Apologies to you Lord Fanel," Rallin said, and recieved an unnoticed nod in return, "but my Warriors destroyed an entire country without the cloaks."
"Your warriors are dead."
"That may be Hikeshi, but they were stronger than you will ever be. Your Majesty, Lady Hitomi, if it pleases you, this is my battle."
"If that is your wish Khristos," said Van, "then we shall leave you alone."
Minuit and Alseidies were now in a standoff, as Escaflowne rose to help Kirei and Allen with the other melefs.
***
"I can't see them!" said Kirei angrily. In his eyes, they were in an empty field. But he knew that guymelefs were in the valley, waiting for their chance. "Damn them to hell for hiding." Just then, Kirei thought he saw... an outline move. And then fire...
Kirei moved out of the way, and just as quickly thrust his sword into the moving outline. Surprisingly a guymelef shot back, then exploded. And with that action, a thought occured to him, something about what Van had told him happened in the last war..
:: Flashback ::
"You mean the Zaibach guymelefs were invisible? How on earth did you fight them then, cousin?"
"I could see them after a while, when Hitomi taught me. Before, she would say warnings to me. But once, when I wouldn't put her in that danger, I led them into the water. The cloaks would not help there. The splashes would give them away..."
:: End Flashback ::
Water! That was the answer! But where was the water in this valley... The river. Suddenly, Kirei looked up to see Escaflowne with his cousin and... why on Earth was Lady Hitomi up there? No matter. Van nodded at him, saying he would take the land melefs, and that Kirei could lead them into the water.
Kirei nodded. They would NOT lose this battle.
***
Allen felt as if it were five years ago, and the last five years of peace had never happened, and he was still fighting against Zaibach. They had the same tactics, the same melefs, the same purpose. To control Gaea. To destroy someone. Though it wasn't the Dragon this time, it wasn't Van. It was Hitomi, though Allen Schezar still did not know why.
In Scherezade, Allen shrugged. This may seem exactly like before, but unlike that battle... Allen wasn't going to get himself nearly killed.
***
"They are good Van. They have a sense of tactic... and skill. Not unlike the Dragonslayers."
"You're right Hitomi. Same melefs, same weapons, same cloaks. But we will win. We did in the last war, and there is nothing stopping us from doing the same now."
"Deja vu, Van. This reminds me of before."
"What is 'deja vu' Hitomi?" Before she could answer, another guymelef came flying at them. Van swung Escaflowne around to meet it head on, making Hitomi fall back against him. "Sorry."
"Don't worry Van. And I'll explain once we finish this." She became serious once again. "Melef to our rear, stationary for now.
General Adelphus, former commander of the Zaibach four Demon Armies, and leader and ruler of Goshem was watching the battle on a large holo-screen. Interesting, how controlling fate gave him such a sense of power. Five years ago, he scoffed at Dornkirk's attempts to simply control Gaea with one machine. But now...
Adelphus smirked. Yes, years ago he had called those methods foolish, but now... He was using that same technology to bring Gaea into HIS vision. But he would not depend only on a machine, however powerful. No... Adelphus would use his guymelefs and his soldiers as well as the Destiny machine. And he did not need fulfill the wishes of all for his world...
No. All he had to do was destroy one person. One woman. The accursed brat from the Mystic Moon. The Keeper. Hitomi Kanzaki, the girl who could change the whole of Gaea's future.
"General the lines are ready."
Adelphus turned to one of his sorcerors. "Very well. Bring Hikeshi and all of the Clan Warriors online. I have something to say to them.
"You've improved Hikeshi. I'm surprised." Rallin sneered as he brought his sword up to clash against Hikeshi's. "Too bad you still aren't as good as me."
Hikeshi's vision went red with anger. And fury. "That's what you think Khristos. I alone will be the one to bring Goshem to victory." He took the other arm of the melef and fired the metal claws directly at Minuit's cockpit.
The claws were only stopped my Minuit's other arm - and sword. Double-edged fighting, that was Rallin's style. "You think I am that foolishi Barruchi? I trained with you for years. You think I don't know your techniques?" Rallin took the arm that slashed the claws down and held it at Alseidies throat. "You think I do not know how you battle?"
Hikeshi swung his blocked sword arm until it pushed the other sword away from his "throat." He lowered the melef into a fighting stance. "Wrong, Khristos. You were always wrong. What I think? You do not know how I fight now."
With a yell, Hikeshi surged forward. And their battle began - again.
***
Kirei grinned. His cousin's trick had worked. Not only could the blue Alseidies surrounding him not use their stealth cloaks... But now, even with four of them surrounding him, Kirei had a decent chance.
Taking his sword out from the back of Ikari, Kirei went into a fighting stance. Addressing the melefs equally, he smiled. "If you think you can beat me," he said slowly, "Bring it on."
***
Van wanted to sigh in relief. With the guymelefs that he, Allen, and Kirei had destroyed, there looked only to be the red Alseidies that Rallin was fighting, and the three in the water. Kirei could handle those three, Van coud see him slashing them. Just then, he felt a small hand grab his wrist in fear. He looked down. "Hitomi? What's wrong?"
"V-Van," she said shakily, "look at the horizon and remember what I taught you. Curious, and still safe in the sky, Van obeyed, concentrated and looked to where Hitomi had asked.
"Gods..." Van closed his eyes. He looked at Hitomi. "An energy weapon. Like Basram's. And ten guymelefs. Are you ready Hitomi, this will be quite a ride."
"I'm ready Van. We can't let them get this far."
He squeezed her hand in reassurance, and they flew into the horizon.
Hello Everyone!!
I'm REALLY sorry this chapter is so short, but expect Episode 17 in a few days days - I'm rushing to start AND finish 'cause it's Van's 20th birthday on April 12th (see, my timing wasn't THAT messed up...) ^_~. And this battle should end NEXT episode because what I was going to use for the ending in this chapter is going to get transferred into the next...
And I managed to squeeze a miniscule piece of fluff in their, hey? I've been reading the reviews for this, and you guys are so great!! I was laughing so hard at some of them. To Imajinator, ~OKI~, Faye_Valentine00, and Ayanami_Chan, you guys give me some of the BEST reviews ever, and keep writing your fics! Turns to Ayanami and Imajinator - where are the next chapters you guys???
I didn't want to drag out the battle too long, but there isn't going to be such a long rest period between this one and the final one, maybe 1 or 2 episodes. Hope you guys enjoyed this!!
Happy [early] 20th Birthday Van!!
Angelic1090
04.10.2001
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