The Hunt – Prologue:
A Call For A Goddess
-Zibbelcoot
Disclaimer/Claimer:
All
Escaflowne characters, places and such are ©1996, ©1998, ©1999 TV Tokyo,
Sunrise and English adaptation ©1998 However, Zorya Pele, Syrun, Galese,
Takaru/Ricpen, Rihae, Latro, King Kaele, Korent (as well as the places Celet
and Hiwero) are my mine so ask if you want to use them. The song "Syrun" (the English and
translation) is also mine so please don't use it without asking!
Author's Notes:
The
Hunt was originally written to be a 20 page response to a challenge set forth
by GoldenDragon2000. It went on a
bit more than 20 pages over the course of a few weeks, which became months and
then years.
The Hunt takes place about two and a half years after the end of the Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea. The movie is significantly different from the tv series so I would recommend seeing it before reading this fanfic (but it is not entirely necessary to enjoy the fanfic). I've borrowed some elements from the tv series to help flesh out the movie universe, hopefully you'll enjoy them. One important fact that will be rigorously enforced from the movie is the fact that Dilandau is male, nothing else.
Zorya watched the exchange students with something akin to indifference. What was so special about them? They had two eyes, arms, legs and a head just like everyone else. Why should they get all the special attention? With a sigh, Zorya pushed herself off the bleachers she rested on. Things would be busier with the exchange students following them around.
"And here class is the football field for our school. As you can see there has been quite a bit of improvements made from the brochure we showed you-" Zorya tuned out the teacher that was babbling and watched the group. Twenty kids total, the same amount in her Intro to Japanese class. A wry grin pulled at her lips. Maybe one of them is into kendo or maybe even fencing.
"Here they are now. I was hoping to introduce you all later but it seems my class was a bit impatient to meet you all-" Again Zorya tuned out the teacher and hurried down the steps to where the rest of her class waited. Standing to the side of the group Zorya gave the exchange students a closer look. Ten boys and ten girls, how predictable, Zorya thought. "Now then class, what do you say?"
"Konnichiwa," the twenty American students said in a somewhat monotonous singular voice. Zorya rolled her eyes and wondered which one would be shadowing her around for the next two weeks.
"Thank you friends," the Japanese students intoned, their accents heavy. Zorya blinked, she didn't think they'd be able to speak English well.
"Now then, I might as well pair you off. Dylan, Hikaru is your partner, yes Hikaru the one with dark hair. Kyleen, Yukari is your partner. Zorya?" She took an obligatory step forward. From within the group of Japanese student's one pair of eyes widened. She didn't see that however. "There you are. Hitomi Kanzaki is your partner. Hitomi?"
A girl with short light brown hair and brilliant green eyes stepped forward, a worn duffel bag over her shoulder. Zorya was about to step forward and stopped. There was something... something odd about this girl, something that made Zorya stop and think. There was something wrong... something around her that she could almost see and... Zorya nearly jumped out of her skin as the eyes appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "Hello."
"Eep!" Zorya took a step back and a deep breath. She didn't understand why she just zoned out. The girl's face showed a mixture of surprise and concern at her reaction. Her mind scrambled through all the practice conversations in Japanese class. "Hajimemashite watashi Pele Zorya-desu. Dozo yoroshiku."
"Dozo yoroshiku. It is nice to meet you Zorya."
"Yea um... I guess we better get to class huh?"
"Hai." Zorya had to fight back the urge to barf, the girl was just... too... too enthusiastic about going to school. It's in another language, she doesn't have to worry idiot.
"Well, let's get going then. I'm sure you'll like it around here..."
The four men huddled around the center of the room, an object before them. "Yes, this shall work. We shall succeed-"
"Where Folken failed. We will-
"Control Gaea for-"
"Ourselves and no one-"
"Shall take it from us," the first speaker finished, throwing a mad grin at his three companions. Folken had been mad to think such a plan would work, especially with all those unknown variables! "We've identified them all and know their effects. We don't-"
"Require the object of destruction, merely-"
"Just the Winged Goddess to procure-"
"This nation and from them it will spiral-"
"Outward and Gaea will be in our grasp," the tallest, and first speaker, finished once more. All eyes moved from him to the object, which was a person at the center of the room. "You want your sister back, don't you?"
"Y-yes sirs," a light tenor voice carried on the stagnant air. To anyone but the four in the room it would have sounded like the most beautiful music, the match to a perfect wine or rose. Those few, stammered words held a magic all their own, locked away in the timbre, the notes and melody. A magic that was enough to hypnotize anyone anywhere. Even a world away...
"Good, then-"
"We must-"
"Begin to-"
"Prepare..."
Zorya couldn't help but feel a bit better than last week; Hitomi was turning out to be okay. At least she hadn't gotten stuck with the girl drooling over all the track stars of the school... She giggled as Hitomi did her impression of the latest Japanese substitute teacher. They might as well send them to study hall, it wasn't like they actually learned anything! Zorya was about to add something else when someone bumped into them. Zorya was about to complain when she saw it hadn't been one but two people. Both of whom weren't in the Japanese class and swarmed Hitomi. "I just heard the kawaii-est things about you-" Zorya flinched as they butchered the pronunciation.
"-and that's about it so what do you think!" Zorya gave herself a little shake. I need to feign some interest and pay attention.
"Zorya, may I?"
"Uh, sure you can visit the track area. Meet me in the library when you're done," Zorya said forcing her smile and tone to be cheerful. Hitomi beamed and walked off with the other two lanky girls, off in the direction of the half built mini stadium.
"Great, they managed to infiltrate every single exchange student." With a sad little sigh, Zorya began walking off in the other direction.
Syrun closed his pale eyes in concentration he could feel her there... the one he was supposed to bring. Taking a deep breath, to prepare for both the mental and physical ordeal, Syrun begun to sing his spell. He could feel two of them now and wasn't sure. He began, hoping the goddess would respond.
-Vi attede en lun...I await the day -
-De simo fiden visse...To see your face -
-De simo fiden omiese...To see your eyes -
-Luminae si de cra-ru en nux...Glowing for me from the night-
-De cravi...To me... -
There! A glimmer of something! Syrun focused his attention on both for a moment longer and without warning no longer felt both beings. He could barely feel one of them, but the other... she completely rejected him. She couldn't be the goddess then. Taking another breath, Syrun attempted to finish the spell and give the goddess what she wanted, a feeling of love, of never being lonely again. His empathetic voice carried low against her thoughts, urging her...
Zorya looked around, something had called her, she was sure of it. She continued to walk along the side of the high school. She'd told Hitomi they'd go to the bonfire hadn't she? Figured the school would get school spirit this week, and it was just a coincidence that it was because administrators and officials were watching them.
-Vi attede en lun...I await the day -
-De simo fiden visse...To see your face -
-De simo fiden omiese...To see your eyes -
-Luminae si de cra-ru en nux...Glowing for me from the night-
-De cravi...To me... -
Zorya shut her eyes as she walked, feeling the cool autumn breeze trail across her cheeks. Such a lovely melody... the song of leaves falling, the sound of them dancing endlessly at the wind's whim. How futile... they don't realize they'll never truly dance with their partner. What's the point? They're dead anyway. "To me... " a voice almost whispered behind her shoulder.
Alarmed, Zorya's eyes went wide, her body already half turned. Who had said that? Her dark eyes continued to scan the area around her but no one was there, not even an imprint of a shoe. "Weird," she muttered under her breath.
Still, she could have sworn that someone called to her; wanted her to be by them. That's a stupid idea. Who would want me around besides Hitomi? And that's only because I'm her exchange partner. Not for the first time in her life, Zorya wished she were someplace else, far far away, where nothing resembled this world at all.
To be free there, to not have any worries, to have some excitement in her life at long last! No more boring tests, no prying pseudo-friends and best of all no annoying parents. Nothing, just her and her wish...
Syrun opened his eyes, the faintest of smiles showing them the success of the venture. "She will come to me when I call her. She's ready, her wish in place, she will be here soon."
"Good, very good."
"Now, when can we expect her?"
"And where will she arrive?"
"Syrun, you're sure its her?" the first scientist spoke last, his words slow and deliberate. A flush of anger colored his cheeks but for a moment. He quickly regained his composure and allowed his light blue eyes to stare down his 'aides'. They think I have no power, that I'm inferior to Sora. His pale blue irises contracted in anger. I'll show them, and then they'll have to help me... "Of course she'll be here. In four candle marks I'll finish the spell."
"Hitomi? Have you ever wished for something and hoped it would come true? I mean wished really hard?" Zorya asked self consciously. Hitomi smiled at her from across the table, then the green eyes left hers and traveled to the library's windows. Sunlight danced in from the fading sunset, the smile lit up Hitomi's face.
"Zorya, anything can happen. If you wish enough." Zorya nodded, that was the same thing everyone always told someone who asked that same question. She looked down to her notebook and began her doodling again, only to pause when she felt eyes boring into her.
"Hito-"
"Always believe Zorya! Believe and trust your dreams! Never let them go..." She trailed off, her voice soft at the end. Zorya simply blinked. The girl had spoken with such fervor, such passion. It was as if she knew they could come true- "Believe and they will Zorya. I... I know."
Her next question already answered without being asked, Zorya shut her mouth tight. What could Hitomi possibly have wanted so badly? And what did she lose? "We're going to the bonfire tonight. Right Hitomi?"
"Yes, Zorya." As suddenly as the mood had come upon Hitomi, it apparently left and she went back to reading. Zorya hid her disappointment. She'd gotten Hitomi to talk about everything it seemed, except the future and what lay ahead of her.
Allowing her hand to wander Zorya doodled on her notes without even really looking at them. What could Hitomi be so afraid of in the future? Her eyes traveled to the static clock on the wall, the second hand ticking slowly, too slowly for Zorya. Then she noticed what time it was. "Hitomi I'm so sorry but I just remembered I was supposed to get the trip permission slip to Mr. Lyons in ten minutes!"
"It is okay. We will meet at the fire?"
"Yea, sure Hitomi," she said in a hurried voice. Her hands darted across the table, trying to shove everything into her backpack. She looked with some disbelief at the extra set of clothes she had packed in the bottom. The trip was scheduled to leave right after the fire, and the exchange students would get to see their first away state division football game. In her haste she left one piece of paper on the table, her doodles.
Sprinting out of the library, Zorya hazarded a glance at the clock. Twenty minutes until the bonfire, nine to find Mr. Lyons. Great, just great... Her legs already feeling tired, Zorya ran up the stairs, careful not to trip herself up. "Come on," she huffed, pushing open the door to the third floor. "Be there," she muttered now, trying to run down the hall as fast as she could.
Syrun concentrated, he needed to isolate them, to be sure of the goddess... His brow furrowed, words flowed from his lips like water from a spring.
-Vi attede en lun...I await the day -
-De simo fiden visse...To see your face -
-De simo fiden omiese...To see your eyes -
-Luminae si de cra-ru en nux...Glowing for me from the night-
-De cravi...To me... -
He took a deeper breath, willing them to slow, willing them to listen. The sorcerers, for once, were quiet and watched their aide work his magic. Stop... I beg of you...
Zorya slowed, her feet felt like they weighed a ton each. "No," she whispered; pushed forward. "I need to-"
Her sneaker hit a wet patch on the floor and in the blink of an eye she laid with her back to it, the wind knocked out of her. "Owww," she groaned lightly, holding the back of her head.
"Who has school spirit?"
"We do!" chorused the crowd.
"Who's gonna win the championship?"
"We are!" the crowd shouted back.
"Who's the state division champions?"
"WE ARE!" the rabble of students screamed. The football players merely smirked arrogantly as the school seemed to tremble in their wake. Hitomi threw a nervous glance around the crowd, trying to find Zorya.
"WE ARE! WE ARE! WE ARE!"
"Now, let's load up the bus and get going to Riverside!"
"WOOO-WHOOO!" All around her students piled towards the bus for the two day trip. With no way out, Hitomi was herded to the buses with the rest of them.
"Zorya?" she tried to call out above the noise but failed as she was pushed onto a waiting bus.
Zorya heard the chanting die down a few minutes ago. The bonfire couldn't have ended so soon, could it? Panic welled up in her, Zorya dashed out of the empty classroom, Mr. Lyons and the permission slip forgotten. They couldn't leave without her! "Oh please oh please oh please," she chanted over and over, as if it would hold some spell over the class until she got there.
She managed to collect her things again and had tried to find Mr. Lyons but it seemed fate was against her. All the doors to the stairwells were locked and the teacher wasn't there, meaning she'd have to take the long way around to the buses.
What's the point? They're going to leave without you anyway. Zorya blinked at that thought and nearly lost her footing as she flew down the steps.
"No, they won't."
Yes, they will.
"No, they won't!" she shouted at the empty halls. She could see the back doors now, the dying embers of the bonfire still glowing a dark red. "They won't," she barely whispered now, pushing one of the doors open. All around the deceased fire lay little bits of paper, food wrappers and aluminum cans. All the signs of a group of teenagers that moved on. "They did."
Listen to me, you can come with me.
"What?" she whispered now, aware it wasn't her own thoughts anymore. Unable to control her limbs, Zorya took a few steps towards the husk of the fire. "Where?"
Your dream, help us. We are in need of your help. A cloud of smoke rose up from the ashes, causing Zorya's eyes to water. Four shapes seemed to form from the smoke, causing Zorya to blink profusely. Could she be hallucinating? Was it the meat loaf the school served at lunch today?
"Come with us," the smoke seemed to whisper, dark tendrils snaking out over the deceased fire's pit. Without thinking, Zorya took another step forward. Hell, this was definitely more exciting and interesting than some bus trip with some jocks...
Syrun's brow showed just how different from Sora he really was. While his sister had been able to sing and spin spells as easily as speaking, he was far from that level. He needed to concentrate, accentuate every single word, implant it in his subject.
He opened his mouth, and began to weave the final part of the spell.
-Vi attede en lun...I await the day -
-De simo fiden visse...To see your face -
-De simo fiden omiese...To see your eyes -
-Luminae si de cra-ru en nux...Glowing for me from the night-
-De cravi...To me... -
He felt her waver, her will to stay it... it was diminishing. "Quickly," he whispered in an aside to the sorcerers.
He barely felt them contract around him, their thoughts traveling through his song.
Zorya closed her eyes briefly, the song called to her. Yes, it called only her. It was her they wanted and no one else. With the smallest of smiles on her face she took another step forward, the tip of her shoe hitting one of the rocks separating the fire pit from the school grounds around it.
She was ignoring the four shapes though, the song was so beautiful. The low tenor voice was calling to her, no one else.
-Fin dein a loluca en monete genki...You were the first to show such life-
-Ziren kervale en feluna for entina...The flames of battles enrich your mind-
-Fiden ki...Your soul-
-Fiden skoro, cra-xinotic...Your body, it intoxicates me-
-De cravi...To me...-
Zorya could feel a light heat on her face now. That's impossible the fire's dead. She took another step, one foot on either side of the barrier of stones. Her eyes opened, the black shapes were more pronounced now, but still clouded over by the black smoke. But where's the smoke coming from? She cast a glance down at her feet and saw towards the middle of the pit were some embers clinging to life.
They don't matter, help us, come to us, the voice continued in persuading her.
-Fin dain de cravi, vi esca de fin: favi dain cihi...You are to me, as I am to you: we are one-
-Nen reve...No illusion-
-Nen nux...No night-
-Nen gician...No spell-
-La covae fer-ru selanu omiese...Will hide this from your fiery eyes-
-De cravi...To me... -
The foreign words called out to her, more than those shapes did. She picked up her other foot, ignoring the brighter embers at the center of the pit. She closed her eyes once more, wishing to hear the song above all else, wishing to be free. Yes, I want to go, I want to-
"NOW!" Syrun's voice held a command he'd only heard his sister use. The sorcerers closed their eyes around him and concentrated. They whispered in hushed tones as he spun the last two parts.
Hitomi heard something, something so familiar that it unnerved her to the point of her hands shaking uncontrollably. No... not again. Why can't I go? Take me! I wish to go back! Ignoring the teacher who was taking roll call, Hitomi got up from her seat and ran off the bus. She could hear the teacher and students alike protesting but it didn't matter. The voice was leaving, leaving without her!
Van...
She closed her brilliant green eyes for a mere second, trying to figure out where it was. Where do I need to go? Please! Please take me! She felt something, and heard something rise over the quiet autumn night and instinctively ran for it.
Her breathing labored as she sprinted the last ten meters, Hitomi froze in place. That couldn't be... no, he was gone but who were those four? She saw Zorya step into the center of the fire pit, the embers there dying into black ash while all around the edge the fire seemed to revive itself, like the legendary phoenix. "Zorya!" she shouted, half hoping to get the girl to leave it, and half hoping she'd be able to get there to take her place.
Zorya's eyes snapped open, a smile on her face for a split second. Her confused grey-green eyes looked at the fire pit she was in and then overcome with fear. "NO! Zorya! Get out! You want me!" her words were completely in Japanese, which seemed to confuse Zorya even more.
Then she heard the song...
-Vi attede fin...I await you.-
-Vi attede feluna fiden, omiese-fa...I await your flames, your eyes -
-De cravi...To me... -
Zorya's scream died in her throat as all around her flames erupted from the black embers. How could the fire do this? "Hitomi!" she managed to scream and tried to move, to get out of the circle. She didn't want to hear the voice now, she didn't want to see the four shapes closing in on her. "Come with us," the smoke whispered in her ear, the black clouds closing in tighter, causing the fire to contract as well.
She could hear Hitomi above the roar of the fire which spiraled up into the midnight sky. "Hitomi," she whispered, the smoke choking her. The fire was inches from her clothes now, and she awaited her death. No, come with us, live here and save us, the voice spoke again.
Anything! Don't let me die!
The last part of the song wailed in her ears, but she couldn't hear the words as the fire closed into one column of flames. Zorya tried to scream but couldn't. The fire was so hot, it felt like her flesh and blood was boiling. She could feel it on her, beneath her clothes, licking at her skin. Why wouldn't it stop! She could feel herself being consumed by the flames, being lifted by them. Then it all stopped.
-Vi attede fin...I await you -
-Qualen-ule de cravi...Come back to me -
-A sei lain...My beloved -
-Ulebe cra-aleben, for en feunis fiden genki...Bring me back, the fire of your life -
-Ulebe cra-qu...Lead me back -
-De fin...To you... -
"Zorya," Hitomi whispered, watching the fire spiral upwards into the sky. Nothing remained in the fire pit and Hitomi knew better than to look for anything there. Her eyes flooded but, they weren't tears for Zorya. She was crying at the lost opportunity. She had dreamed, wished for this to happen just once more to her.
She had wanted to return so badly! And now Zorya had gone instead of Hitomi. "Van," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks as students and teachers called out to her, just now coming to investigate the blaze. "Van..."
Syrun felt her in the blaze, could feel her wishing to be here. That was important, without the consent of the spellbound, the spell was useless. He continued to sing, his thoughts now concentrating on where to bring her.
In a second he lost his concentration and was in the blaze with her. He panicked, trying to think of anything to put out the flames, even if they weren't really there. The girl, she was trying to scream, trying to be free. Where? Where do I put her!
The scientists ignored him or couldn't answer him. He frantically tried to think, tried to think of where they'd want her. In those frantic moments, the spell chose the destination. I know, I'll... But it was too late, she was already gone and the trance faded from his mind.
He let out a soft groan and pitched forward, hitting the room's floor none too lightly. The sorcerers stared at him, their eyes wide. "Well! Where is she?" All four looked at the small fire they had started behind them, the place the spell was supposed to bring her.
"Did the spell work?"
"Is she even here!"
"Your spell didn't work."
"She... it chose the place," he groaned but couldn't bear to open his eyes. He felt rough hands pick his light frame up and begin to shake him.
"Where is she! Damn you!"
"There," he barely whispered as his consciousness faded.
