Episode Twenty-Six: Old Friends and a New Task

Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny

Previously on Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny

The location of the Gateway is finally revealed as the time for Hitomi's task comes ever nearer. Adelphus, on the other hand, is beginning to realize the same as well, and will do absolutely anything to bring this war's end to his liking.

// ~ * ~ \\

"Adon." The word was still fresh on her lips, and the information she had learned in the dream came rushing back to her in a rush.

The Gateway. Hitomi Kanzaki, girl from the Mystic Moon, and now the Keeper of the Keys, now knew where her purpose was meant to be realized.

But if only she knew when. Then, perhaps, they, the four of them (Rallin himself had taken to describing them as the 'Chosen Four') would have a sure outcome on their part.

But the Gateway would not appear until it was meant to, and thus Hitomi would not know until it did. Just as the keys had happened. They had been at the right place in the right time then...

Or had been brought to it. If the Gateway was to appear in Adon, then...

They would go. All of them. They each had a role to play if Gaea's outcome was to be one of peace, and though it seemed it was all on Hitomi, she knew, knew, that she would need the others.

Hitomi might be strong, but she was not foolish.

She was skilled at swordplay now, nearly as good as Kirei and Rallin - or better. Van and she had been practicing matches, and though she tended to lose to him, she could match him strike-for-strike for a while. She had beaten the two of them, Kirei and Rallin, a few times as well. But even with that skill, she still had no guymelef in which to fight.

And it was unlikely that the enemy would graciously step down from the machine to fight her equally, person to person.

Hitomi looked up at the brightening sky. Dawn would soon arrive, and the others would wake up.

She could tell them then. The Gateway was in Adon, and it was there that they needed to go. She looked at the sky, waiting for her beloved to wake up again.

// ~ * ~ \\

Merle still felt the sense of foreboding in her heart. She had done all she could over the last few hours to forget it, from doing chores (voluntarily!), to pacing as was her custom.

She hoped that the feeling wasn't about Lord Van. Or even Kirei, despite the fact that it was a complete anomaly that she had begun to think of him as a friend. She could remember the first time she met him...

*** Flashback

Van's cousin was coming today, and it was plain to any Fanelian how excited their king was... and how excited they all were. It had been known by almost no one that there was still a Fanel, by blood, aside from Van. Of course the King had reason to celebrate! He had a family now...

Or so he hoped.

To Merle, the gods help this man should he not like Lord Van. He had lost so much during the war, and after Folken had died he had been depressed, no matter how much he might've denied. So how lucky that a chance like this, for Lord Van to have an actual family again...

And it had all turned out all right. Kirei Avan Fanel looked exactly as a Royal should, golden hair cut in a similar style to Van's, though, slightly longer, and he reminded everyone of Folken, though he wasn't as tactical, more like Van than anything else.

The only problem that Merle had with him was that she hadn't met him until months later - she left that night, going to travel to the villages, and also perhaps to find her people. By the time she came back, she was reassured that Kirei knew all about her - and she was right.

The only problem was that he wasn't expecting a cat-person.

And so the arguing began. First with Kirei's indignation at the fact that a King's most trusted advisors was a beast-human, and then clashes over protocol. In all escalated until...

"You are STAYING in this cottage, on this land, TOGETHER, until you get along, understand? I can't have my two trusted advisors arguing over pettiness in Council!"

"But Van-"

"Lord Van this isn't -"

"Fair or not, you WILL learn to get along, I will be back in a week's time, if nothing then you stay."

"But-" for the first time, Merle and Kirei were in unanimous agreement. Neither wanted to stay with the other.

"No buts. No complaints. Learn to deal with the other by the time I get back or here you stay. By the way... it's up to you to find food and the like."

Van Fanel left his cousin and his best friend sputtering as he rode away.

End Flashback ***

Annoyingly enough, it was that which had spurred Merle and Kirei to at least tolerate each other, though it did remind Merle of her relationship with Hitomi... they liked each other, but they would be damned if they admitted it.

She just hoped whatever was causing the foreboding feeling would soon come to pass.

// ~ * ~ \\

Kirei blinked his eyes open sleepily as the brightness of the sunrise hit his eyelids. His sleep had been restless, and though he never actually woke up, the pulling feeling had come from his dream, straight into reality.

It was as if he needed to go home... but he was home! This was where he - and his best friend - had grown up...

This isn't your home anymore.

Kirei looked around in confusion, the voice; it had sounded so familiar. But who?

"Mother..."

This is the only time I have been allowed, my son. Your home is no longer here, in this place of shattered memories. You have a home now, with family. Go. Your destiny awaits. I love you, my son. I'm proud of you.

Kirei smiled. As he felt his mother's voice, and spirit, begin to fade away, he whispered one last thing.

"I love you too, mother. And you're right... I do have a family now."

He stretched as he rose, and began to organize things. Somehow, Kirei got the feeling that whatever the pulling feeling was, it was about to happen... soon.

***

Rallin had awoken an hour before his friend had, and though he noticed that the Lady Hitomi looked as if she had something to say, but had gone off when she conveyed a message saying, 'When we are all awake'.

He had gone off for a quick jog, and then started going over Minuit, making sure that nothing was malfunctioning. By the time he had returned to their makeshift camp, Kirei was up, Van was gathering their things, and Hitomi was apparently cooking fish (from the lake in the clearing) for breakfast.

"Rallin," said Van, his way of wishing a good day. "We are leaving."

"That feeling?" he answered, already picking up on the yearning from the night before.

"Yes," answered Hitomi, "the yearning is a cause of the Gateway. I know where it will be, and..."

"We need to go?" said Kirei, finally entering the conversation.

"Adon," Van and Hitomi said in unison.

"So what are we waiting for?"

// ~ * ~ \\

Merle looked up in the sunrise. She hadn't got any sleep the previous night, but her mind was alert, and her senses sharpened.

Someone was coming. And it wasn't the enemy; Merle knew that, her instincts telling her everything would be all right.

It was like a loved one coming home...

Lord Van!

It had to be him!

Merle began to run towards the now landing guymelefs, all seventeen years of her existence as a cat gracing her speed.

***

"Van," asked Hitomi, looking every inch like the Queen Van had proposed her to be by his side, "what was it about Adon that you were saying this morning?"

"Hmm, Hitomi?" Van was momentarily distracted from thinking about the destination, by her question. "What was that again?"

"What was it about Adon that you were trying to tell me before?"

"Oh," paused Van, "it's where the people were evacuated."

"Is Merle there too?"

"Yes," he answered, smiling at the thought of the reunion... then cringing. He hoped to the gods she did not knock him off something this time. "Why do you ask?"

"I think she's coming towards us."

***

Merle stopped, and grinned. It was Lord Van and Kirei too. Also, another guymelef she didn't recognize, though it DID look somewhat familiar and...

"Hitomi!"

// ~ * ~ \\

Dear Readers,

YES, I realize this is a CRAPPY chapter. But I won't be writing for about a week and a half, my finals are approaching in a few days, and even though I had a KILLER idea for the ending of this, it would take about 19 pages to explain, and I don't have time.

Which means that... this is gonna be longer. By an episode or too at least, since I plan to add an entire episode explaining the origin of the pendant, Gateway, and Keys, and how the Keeper is chosen. In fact, THAT may be the next one, I'm not quite sure yet.

Again, I'm sorry, but I needed to post something before one of you would come after me for not posting in ages, so...

See you soon!

Angelic1090
06.17.2001