HAHAHAHAHA! Yes, my few but loyal readers! DRAGONSUN, the eccentric
middle-school-student-but-soon-to-be-high-school-girl is BACK after a very
long break!!!!!! And I STILL don't own Escaflowne. . .my lawyers are kind
of slow, don't you think?
Yami: ???????
DS: Kidding, kidding.
Yami: Oh.
DS: You're really dense for an alternate ego.
Yami: . . .thanks. . .
DS: Ya see what I mean?
I had an idea for a new Esca fic. . .it's kind of like the X-Men movie. I wonder why no one's ever done that one b4? Van would be perfect as Archangel with Wolverine's attitude. And, as in the movie, he and Allen (Cyclops) could vie for Hitomi (Jean Grey, but a bit younger) and her attention!! Take the idea if you want, I don't know if I'll do it. . .And now, to the thing you've all been waiting for. . .the LONG AWAITED CHAPTER FOURTEEN!!!! Or is it fifteen?
The Hunt
[pic]
"Holy shit!!" yelled Ner, lunging at Elvrn and knocking him up the stairway where Wyera-hime had tread not so long ago. The dragons were snapping at their heels and Qual chanced a panicked look behind him. He'd nearly lost an arm back there. And a foot, come to think of it. The dragons looked like they were going to follow, and in that horrified moment, Ner had grabbed his arm and Elvrn's and dragged them further up, Ner and Qual shouting, Elvrn strangely quiet. He had inherited his mother's calm.
They were almost there. . .
"NER!!!" Qual howled, "GET DOWN!!!" He jerked them both down as the flames shot over their heads. Now Elvrn let out a small yelp. His silver- blue hair was sizzling, afire. Ner beat the sparks out while Qual menaced to growling dragons below with his notched bow. Ner's own hair was sparking, but she paid no notice, and the fire soon died out, leaving the burnt stench of singed armor, skin, hair, and blood. They were running out of time. Qual could sense the spirits of the slain hovering in the air, deformed and wailing.
Moments ago, they had narrowly avoided being those voracious dragons' after lunch snacks, being amongst the stampeding crowd of Daedalus soldiers. Ner had slain a few soldiers to slow the dragons down, but apparently dragons liked to go after live prey. Qual had never seen a dragon before in his life, and so, Ner had had to drag him away as they broke, roaring and rampaging down the hallway.
"Clever of him, really, dragons," Qual said, as they lay breathing harshly on the third step from the top. Ner pulled herself from beneath him and went to Elvrn, who, being lighter, had been knocked further along. "I mean, really! Dragons. . ." he muttered, still unable to get over his shock. He went over to Elvrn, who was lying quite still.
"Mother never said anything about dragons when she first sent me out, you know," Elvrn said, opening his eyes and rubbing his head. "She only said to wait in the village for three years, until a man who called himself Dragon was imprisoned there. . ."
"We know," Ner muttered. They heard a yell.
"VAN!!!"
"I think we should hurry," Elvrn said quickly. They both grabbed one of the boy's arms and sprinted down the hallway, their previous fatigue and aches forgotten.
"Do you think the Dragon spirit with awaken?" Ner asked, while they panted their way down the hall.
"Well. . ." Qual began, then realized she had meant the question for Elvrn.
"I don't know," Elvrn said. "It honestly depends on how Van feels toward Hitomi. If he knows this is not Hitomi, he may attack. However, seeing that if he does know that the Lady Hitomi will be killed if he attacks, he may not attack. So. . ."
"Get to the point!" snapped Ner.
"I think Van doesn't want to harm Hitomi in any way whatsoever," Qual interrupted. "You were unconscious for most of the time I talked with him. He loves her very much and would rather die than see her hurt. However, the Dragon. . ."
"Has no ties with Hitomi at all. So the Dragon can take control and. . ." Ner said.
"But you've forgotten the Dragon's ties with Guaneth," said Elvrn. "Either way, we've got our Lord Van and Lord Ryuu seriously handicapped. So we must get our King of Fanelia away from the Lady Hitomi as fast as we possibly can. We've also got that infernal engagement ring to remove. How they managed to curse such a pure object, let alone Draconian silver-"
"Draconian silver?"
"The ring he gave her when he proposed, fool!" Ner cried. "Draconian metals are some of the most pure substances in this world! Even our gold can't measure to their copper."
"How in the world did they manage it?" Qual wondered, while they rounded a corner at a strenuous pace.
"You don't know anything, do you?" Ner grumbled, slapping his head as they ran.
"Bodyguards protect, remember?" Qual said, rubbing his head. "They don't kill their charges. Or have you forgotten?"
"My guess is they just cursed it," Elvrn interjected, "seeing that Guaneth is a very powerful being and Wyera is known for her skills in the dark arts."
"Huh," Qual muttered. Stupid genius children these days. . . "So what if they cursed it? We've got to get it off even if it means chopping her finger off!"
"I don't think either of them would appreciate that, you know," Ner said, grinning. "We ought to just hold her with a spell until someone can get close enough to rip it off. Or saw it off. Just the ring, mind."
"What sort of spell could hold a rabid demon who is now able to tap into our Seeress' powers?"
"Guaneth won't be able to access Hitomi's powers," Qual gasped, clutching a stitch in his side and glad he knew something the boy didn't. "Because Hitomi herself did not know they existed, and Hitomi would never allow her to go as far as to harm Van."
"Hitomi can't do anything in her spirit state!" Elvrn argued.
"Oh, yeah? Then tell me what that is!" Qual hissed, drawing them to a halt and pointing.
The knight with long hair, Gaddis Schezar, was standing, horrified, with a small group of soldiers, watching a kneeling Van shaking the Princess Wyera, who was clearly dead.
"Come nearer and he dies!" Guaneth spat, but she was having difficulty controlling her arm as she hovered furiously above the shaking young Lord. Qual could see an ethereal, withering and translucent form of Hitomi fluttering and wrenching at Guaneth's arm.
Qual grabbed his bodyguard's arm.
"Ner-" he breathed. "Do you see him. . .?"
"Huh?" Ner said. "Of course I can see him! And he's about to get creamed!! We have to move!!"
"No. . .not that. . .close your eyes. . ."
"WHAT?! HELL-O, QUAL, OUR CHARGE IS ABOUT TO BE KILLED, AND YOU WANT ME TO CLOSE MY EYES?!!??!?!"
"Shut up, shut up! Close your eyes! The vibrations! There's something wrong with the Dragon spirit! Sense the vibrations!!"
He watched her as she frowned at him momentarily, but closed her eyes all the same. They snapped open a moment later as she realized what he had.
"Dear gods!" Ner whispered. "We have to get them away from each other!!"
"Elvrn, I want you to talk to Knight Gaddis. Understand?" Qual said.
"Yup!" Elvrn said grimly, and scampered towards the knight. Qual and Ner held their breath and let it go in a soft sigh as he made it past the dazed Hitomi.
"What's going on. . .?" Qual asked. "You're more perceptive than I am, usually."
"I dunno. There's something wrong, I can definitely say that. . ." Ner bit her lip, a sign she was doing some serious thinking. "If we could just pull Van further away before the Dragon has a chance to emerge. . ."
"How will we avoid Guaneth. . .?"
"We won't be able to. . ."
Qual watched with concern as the young King shuddered violently and tried to move away from his fiancee, all the while rooted to the ground as the Dragon's vibrations began to take control.
He doesn't want to hurt her. . .but he knows it's going to happen. . .
"Ner-" Qual said suddenly.
"Yes?"
"We have to get away."
"WHAT?!" she yelled, for the second time.
"We have to MOVE!! Dammit, move!!" he grasped her firmly by the elbow and jerked her back into the hallway.
Just in time. With a roar, the Dragon exploded into control, taking with it, the corridor where King Van lay.
****************
As Qual drifted in and out of consciousness, he was vaguely aware of blue eyes watching his every movement.
"High Priestess!"
"Lie still, or the hallway will cave in," she whispered. "I am still steadying it. Listen to me, Qual. You must not allow the Dragon to attack Lady Hitomi."
"Is he alive?"
"Barely, barely. . ."
"And the rest?"
"I do not know."
"Will it cause another explosion?" he asked breathlessly. "If the Dragon attacks her, that is."
"I cannot see. . ." she murmured. "Truly I cannot see. . ."
"What shall I do, High Priestess?"
"I do not know. The power of the Dragon's reverberations and that of the Wing Goddess. . .I cannot see."
She was fading from view.
"Be careful, Qual. Make sure Elvrn comes to no harm. . ."
"Yes, High Priestess."
She was gone. The next minute, he was aware of Ner shaking him and looked up into her brown eyes.
"Ner!"
"Are you okay?" she asked, beginning to dust him off.
"I don't know. Elvrn-Elvrn's still in that hallway-"
"We can't go in. The moment those two get close another explosion with happen."
"So we'll get them far, far away from each other!! Anything could happen, Ner."
"I don't trust such strong magic mixing," Ner grumbled. "If we try to use a spell, who knows how high the vibrations will build?"
"We have to try, Ner."
"You're right," she admitted grudgingly.
"Well, I've never seen my Ner back down from a fight, have you?" he said swiftly.
"Hey!" She grabbed him by the ear. Slowly, they began to sift through the rubble. To their utter amazement, when they arrived back in the corridor where Van was, the entire hall had collapsed, yet had not fallen. Blocks of marble and ivory decorations hung in the air, floating. Guaneth and Van faced off.
"That isn't Van. His reverberations are too violent. . ." Qual said softly. He tapped on the slightly bluish air in front of him and nodded wisely. "It's a shield of some sort, holding up the ceiling. As long as it stands, the hall won't collapse, but we won't be able to get to him. The same goes for the others over there."
"The Dragon!"
"Lord Van!!" Qual yelled, forgetting everything but getting his charge out of harm's way. "Lord Van, if you can hear me, get away from her!!"
The seventeen-year-old ignored him and charged at Guaneth with a feral snarl, Sword lifted and in position. Qual and Ner watched with horrified tension, their faces reflected by Elvrn and the others standing on the other side of the shield.
To their absolute and complete bafflement, Van-no, the Dragon-swung at Hitomi, and missed.
Qual began to sense something else stirring within the Dragon. . .
It lunged again, heading straight for Hitomi's heart, but at the last second, It tripped, yet managing to keep a hold on Its Sword.
The reverberations of a different sort were growing steadily stronger. . .
****************
What the-
Van slowly raised himself from the floor and took careful grip on the Sword, bringing it high above his head before he swung down.
//Gwen. . .//
Huh!? Van felt his arm slowing, felt the Dragon resisting, and this time the Sword flew out of his grasp and into the wall behind him as he was propelled backward a few paces.
The enemy wasn't shielding, and he couldn't understand why he couldn't strike! The frustration was building, yet the Dragon was doing nothing but keeping him from harming her.
:Hitomi-I-I need you. Please help me. Please, Hitomi. Make it stop. Tell it to go away. You're the only one. . .Hitomi. . .I don't want to hurt you. Please help me. . .:
Need to kill. Kill. Blood. . .save Hitomi. Kill. Stupid. Damn. Sword. Why the hell isn't it working?!
//Gwen. . .//
*****************
Qual gasped and gestured wildly at the silver-haired girl who had taken Hitomi's place. Her eyes were a kind violet, and the bells plaited into her hair tinkled. She motioned to Hitomi's form, which let go and drifted away.
"What?" Ner asked. "I don't see anything."
"The girl, the girl!!" Qual cried, almost jumping with anxiety.
"I don't see anything," Ner repeated.
Apparently, only he could see her. Judging by the dumbstruck look on Elvrn's face, and the confusion on Van's, they, too, could see it. To the others, it was still Hitomi.
Her voice was soft when she spoke.
"Ryuu. . .don't you remember me?"
"Gwen. . ." Van whispered. He knelt at her feet, took one ghostly hand and kissed it.
"Look at Van!!" Qual shouted.
Van, too, had vanished. All he saw was a man with bluish hair and a wound in his side that wasn't going to stop bleeding any time soon, but the man paid it no notice, instead gazing with reverence and some shame at the silver-haired maid.
"Ryuu. . ."
"Gwen. . .I'm sorry I-I made a mistake, Gwen-"
"I know, Ryuu."
"Please forgive me," he whispered, bowing his head. "I don't deserve it. This I realize. But. . .please forgive me, Gwen. I can't-I won't-"
"I've forgiven you long ago, Ryuu. I was wondering if. . .if you'd ever do the same for me. . ."
"Gwen. . ." he said fondly, rising and taking both her hands. There was remorse in his eyes. "Gwen, I made a mistake. No. Hear me out, please. I didn't realize until. . .until after I-I-" his voice began to shake, but he steadied it. "I love you, Gwen. Our Lord and his god-damn kingdom and just go on their merry way to hell."
"Ryuu-" she blushed a transparent silver. "Our time is over. I hope you realize that. We both made a mistake and we can't correct it now. Not now, Ryuu."
"I know. I only wanted to see you again before I left for the Fields, Gwen. . .I wanted to know if you'd still have me. . .even now, after so many years. . ."
"It's been a long time, hasn't it. . .?"
"Nothing short of several millennia. . .I've held on long enough, Gwen. I've always wanted to say this, to tell you-"
"Ryuu. . .you know the answer to that. . .It's just. . .part of me doesn't want to forgive you. She won't leave me alone. . .she's forgotten you, forgotten us. Do you know why I hung on to this life, Ryuu? Because I wished to avenge myself upon you. . .I don't think that's what I really wanted. . .not now."
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.
"You could kiss me," she said softly. "Just once, on the cheek. Before anyone notices."
He took her face in his hands and did as she said, solemnly and without any emotion.
"I love you, Gwen," he said softly. "Please know that."
"Ryuu-" Guaneth gasped, beginning to shake. She fell to her knees beside a prostrate and perhaps unconscious Van, holding her head. "No! Begone!! I hate you, Ryuu!! Do you hear me!? I HATE YOU!!!! I-"
She was sobbing openly, her form shifting and fading as it left Hitomi's body. The blue shield had begun to vanish.
Qual grabbed Ner's arm for roughly the fourth time.
"Ner-" he said urgently. "We need to get the ring off."
"But we can't enter the shield-"
"We can't, but Van can."
"YOU FUCKING IDIOT," she yelled at him, "CAN'T YOU GET IT THROUGH YOUR DAMNED THICK HEAD THAT VAN'S UNCONSCIOUS AND WE CAN'T. DO. ANYTHING!!!!!!!"
"We can't do anything, Ner," he said, breathing quickly. The shield was crumbling. "But we have to get Van up."
"How in the fucking hell do we do that?!" she screamed at him. Always worked best under pressure, his Ner.
"I don't know. Let's try something, okay? I'm going to try to shield myself and walk through the other shield so I can wake Van up, so he can get the damn ring off Hitomi's finger. If I a, burn up; b, disintegrate; or c, fall dead, don't follow me. Ne?"
"That's the stupidest fucking plan I ever heard of!!"
That would be the third time she said the word. . .wow. . .I think Ner actually cares about me. . .
"You got a better one?" he snapped and grinned at her silence. "Then just sit tight, Ner. And help me out."
He took a deep breath and started forward. He could feel her power surrounding him, and added his own, chanting softly under his breath.
Well. . .tell my Mom I love her. . .and Ner can have what remains of my fortune. . .Elvrn can have my books. . .Mom, you can have the house. . .
His orange glow soon began to pulse against the blue one.
And little Garell can have my old toys. . .Half of the fortune I gave to Ner needs to go towards a charity or something. . .
Still walking, his breathing was becoming even harsher. Beyond the "glass" wall of the blue shield, Guaneth was still sobbing Ryuu's name. The orange glow began to mesh with the blue. . .
Holy Mother of God. No, holy shit. Sacre merde. Whatever. I'm gonna die. Yes siree, I'm gonna die. No doubts on that one. . .
Ner's magic increased around him, awash with worry and anxiety and all sorts of jumbled emotions. He closed his eyes and summoned up more. From the other side of the shield, he felt Elvrn tap into the power source and begin adding. More magic. The orange glow grew brighter, the warmth increased. Suddenly, he felt more magic. Strong magic.
Van's magic!?
Of course. . .Van's Draconian magic acting without the consent of its owner. . .
But. . .why. . .?
The shield. . .
The shield was transferring Van's magic to him, because. . .Van meant for his magic to be used for good, even if he never knew it existed within him. . .
It made sense that Hitomi's would join in soon. . .yet it never did. . .
"QUAL!! YOU'D BETTER FUCKING MAKE IT!!!" Ner shouted, her voice sounding choked and somewhat strained. "OR I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, D'YOU HEAR ME!?"
That makes a total of five times. . .
Hitomi's magic was fighting his entry. . .because Guaneth could control Hitomi's magic. . .proving his earlier theories untrue, however. . .this was definitely not the time to be testing theories. . .
He pushed his right index finger at the wall and held it there, poking insistently. Slowly, as if he were shoving through a thick vat of wax, his finger fell through, no longer glowing with magic warmth. Feeling very apprehensive, he tried to pull it back out and was greeted by a searing pain. With a yelp, he jerked his finger back in covered with small blisters.
Must be a one-way sort of thing. . .ah, shit, what have I gotten myself into. . .?
He pushed his left hand in next. Then his face.
"HERE I GO!!" he yelled.
And jumped forward.
It was an odd sensation, he decided. The warmth around him was snuffed out, and only the ceaseless feeling of eternal cold. Shivering, feeling wretched and much like an ice block, he moved forward as if walking through syrup.
He tripped over Wyera's body and landed, not heavily, but in slow motion, so that it was a long time between his taking off and hitting the ground.
He landed by Van's face. The King was pale as death, perhaps even more.
"Van!!" he shouted, his voice coming out muffled. He grabbed the King's hand, once again, his own hand moving so slowly he feared it would be too late, then hit Van a few times, to no avail. "Van! Dammit, wake up!!"
//I have no wish to waken. . .//
"Van. . .she needs you!!"
//I know no one. . .I have no wish to waken. . .let me sleep. . .let me sleep forever. . .as I have long wanted to. . .//
"Hitomi needs you, Van. Don't you remember her? Hitomi? Don't you remember Hitomi? All you went through together? You were going to marry her, Van. . .you can't leave her here. Not yet."
//H-Hitomi. . .//
"That's it. . .don't you remember her?"
//Sadly, no. Let me be, mortal. I have no wish to waken. . .//
"I won't let you sleep. Wake up now." He gave Van a hard shake. "D'you hear me, mister? Wake up now!"
//If you wish to die of old age, my persistent and anonymous friend, you will release me at once. . .//
It was the Dragon speaking, he realized.
"I don't care when I die. You can't leave Hitomi. You can't leave your people. You wake up now or I'm going to do something drastic."
//Go jump in a lake; that's drastic enough,// Van's voice said angrily. //Oh. Qual. What exactly are you doing here?//
"Do you want me to burn myself to a crisp, Van Fanel?" Qual demanded. "I can burn the entire world to a crisp."
He was lying, of course. But it didn't matter. He needed to get Van awake again. Once he was conscious, he was sure that everything would be all right.
//You can't.//
"Don't you want to see Hitomi again, Van?"
//Hitomi. . .Hitomi's dead,// Van said miserably. //I killed her. I don't wish to go on without her. Let me sleep, bastard. Let me sleep forever.//
"She isn't dead. You didn't kill her. You never touched her. And you can still save her."
//She's not. . .dead. . .?// This time both the Dragon and Van spoke, Van, with amazement and much joy, the Dragon with much disappointment.
"No, she isn't dead. Just wake up, Van. Wake up. . ."
//Hitomi. . .Hitomi needs me. . .//
Van's eyes snapped open.
"What the fu-"
"Look, I've had enough of that word directed at me for one day, Van."
"Sorry. Where's Hitomi?! I can still save Hitomi. Tell me where she is. Now, dammit!!" he grabbed Qual by the collar.
"Right there," Qual coughed, pointing. "I came in on pretty much a suicide mission. I've got enough magic to send you two out, once you've removed the ring-but-"
"That's funny, that's exactly what I was thinking. I've got enough magic to send you and Hitomi out, okay? You're going to go. I don't give a damn about what you say or think. You're going to take Hitomi and get her out safely. In fact, I don't give a damn what happens to you, either. Just get Hitomi out and tell her I love her, and that I'm sorry."
"Why the hell do you need to have the death wish!? I'm the one with nothing going for me!" Qual shouted. "I don't have anyone! You, Van Fanel, you have someone! Someone who loves you as much as you love her. Someone who would die for you. You're going to go live happily ever after with her, you hear me?!"
"You have someone," Van said, almost accusingly. He was still looking dazed. He pointed outside at Ner, who was pressed up against the shield. "I don't deserve Hitomi anyway. She can find someone much better than me."
Qual was too angry to even feel surprised that Ner cared.
"You goddamn idiot! She loves YOU! She won't take any other, better than you or not!! Now, you listen up. Go get the ring off her finger and destroy it. We can argue about who lives and who dies later."
"What do I do?"
"Just take it off! Saw it off, if you have to!"
"I refuse to damage any part of Hitomi."
"JUST GO!!"
He watched, with bated breath, as Van made it to Hitomi's side and gently lifted her hand. As she looked up with Guaneth's teary yellow and then suddenly Hitomi's green eyes, he smiled at her.
"Hitomi. . .I'm here. . ."
"Van. . ."
With trembling fingers, Van took the ring from her slender hand.
Qual never got the see the rest. At that moment the shield vanished completely, burying the entire hallway and everyone in it.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!! I promise I won't leave you guys hanging long, though!! Well, you've got the figure that the main characters won't die, no guarantee for Gaddis (GRRR! DIE, ALLEN SCHEZAR!!!!), Elvrn, Ner, or Qual. . .but even if they do die, I might bring them back to life for a nice happy finale!!!
I'll be writing again. . .I haven't written in a while because I've been working hard (VERY HARD, Older Sister Pyro) on Science Fair, and now studying for a french exam, and for the most of feb., studying for Chinese SATs and Chinese midterms. . . ^_^ And drawing. Drawing lots and lots and lots. I drew Naria and Eriya last night, in the pose they're in on the cover of the 8th DVD of Escaflowne!!
Actually. . .Older Sister Pyro bought me a pirated version of Escaflowne, the complete series-against the rantings and ravings of Little Brother Pyro, of course. ^_^ It was done by a bunch of Taiwanese, and the English subtitles are kinda bad, but still understandable! The cover of this pirated version had Naria and Eriya situated in the corner!!! ^_^ And can someone please explain to me why Van is seen in that pose, one hand on shoulder, other on waist? Heero Yuy is also seen in that pose occasionally. Older Sister Pyro says it's when the character is depressed, but why should Van be depressed?! He's got Hitomi, Merle, and a million some fangirls who love him almost as much!!!!
^_^ Naria and Eriya look cool. . .but Eriya's chin is too long and Naria's face looks somewhat like a monkey's. . .that's what my dad says, anyway. . .waaah. . .soooooo tired. . .
ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER, VERY WELCOME!!!
Buh-bai!! ^_^
PS: For anyone who's interested. . .
I dreamed last night that I had to wrestle this really cute boy in the snow. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was an anime character. . .at any rate, he was winning, then suddenly, my Yami (who looked somewhat like evil Bakura) pops out and pins him. When I wake up, I feel sick. I'm sneezing a lot and now I've got a runny nose. Ya think it's from wrestling cute anime bishies in the snow, wearing nothing but a skimpy swimsuit?
(^_^ this is how you know it's a dream . . .I was thin enough to look good in that damn suit. . .) ^_^
Yami: ???????
DS: Kidding, kidding.
Yami: Oh.
DS: You're really dense for an alternate ego.
Yami: . . .thanks. . .
DS: Ya see what I mean?
I had an idea for a new Esca fic. . .it's kind of like the X-Men movie. I wonder why no one's ever done that one b4? Van would be perfect as Archangel with Wolverine's attitude. And, as in the movie, he and Allen (Cyclops) could vie for Hitomi (Jean Grey, but a bit younger) and her attention!! Take the idea if you want, I don't know if I'll do it. . .And now, to the thing you've all been waiting for. . .the LONG AWAITED CHAPTER FOURTEEN!!!! Or is it fifteen?
The Hunt
[pic]
"Holy shit!!" yelled Ner, lunging at Elvrn and knocking him up the stairway where Wyera-hime had tread not so long ago. The dragons were snapping at their heels and Qual chanced a panicked look behind him. He'd nearly lost an arm back there. And a foot, come to think of it. The dragons looked like they were going to follow, and in that horrified moment, Ner had grabbed his arm and Elvrn's and dragged them further up, Ner and Qual shouting, Elvrn strangely quiet. He had inherited his mother's calm.
They were almost there. . .
"NER!!!" Qual howled, "GET DOWN!!!" He jerked them both down as the flames shot over their heads. Now Elvrn let out a small yelp. His silver- blue hair was sizzling, afire. Ner beat the sparks out while Qual menaced to growling dragons below with his notched bow. Ner's own hair was sparking, but she paid no notice, and the fire soon died out, leaving the burnt stench of singed armor, skin, hair, and blood. They were running out of time. Qual could sense the spirits of the slain hovering in the air, deformed and wailing.
Moments ago, they had narrowly avoided being those voracious dragons' after lunch snacks, being amongst the stampeding crowd of Daedalus soldiers. Ner had slain a few soldiers to slow the dragons down, but apparently dragons liked to go after live prey. Qual had never seen a dragon before in his life, and so, Ner had had to drag him away as they broke, roaring and rampaging down the hallway.
"Clever of him, really, dragons," Qual said, as they lay breathing harshly on the third step from the top. Ner pulled herself from beneath him and went to Elvrn, who, being lighter, had been knocked further along. "I mean, really! Dragons. . ." he muttered, still unable to get over his shock. He went over to Elvrn, who was lying quite still.
"Mother never said anything about dragons when she first sent me out, you know," Elvrn said, opening his eyes and rubbing his head. "She only said to wait in the village for three years, until a man who called himself Dragon was imprisoned there. . ."
"We know," Ner muttered. They heard a yell.
"VAN!!!"
"I think we should hurry," Elvrn said quickly. They both grabbed one of the boy's arms and sprinted down the hallway, their previous fatigue and aches forgotten.
"Do you think the Dragon spirit with awaken?" Ner asked, while they panted their way down the hall.
"Well. . ." Qual began, then realized she had meant the question for Elvrn.
"I don't know," Elvrn said. "It honestly depends on how Van feels toward Hitomi. If he knows this is not Hitomi, he may attack. However, seeing that if he does know that the Lady Hitomi will be killed if he attacks, he may not attack. So. . ."
"Get to the point!" snapped Ner.
"I think Van doesn't want to harm Hitomi in any way whatsoever," Qual interrupted. "You were unconscious for most of the time I talked with him. He loves her very much and would rather die than see her hurt. However, the Dragon. . ."
"Has no ties with Hitomi at all. So the Dragon can take control and. . ." Ner said.
"But you've forgotten the Dragon's ties with Guaneth," said Elvrn. "Either way, we've got our Lord Van and Lord Ryuu seriously handicapped. So we must get our King of Fanelia away from the Lady Hitomi as fast as we possibly can. We've also got that infernal engagement ring to remove. How they managed to curse such a pure object, let alone Draconian silver-"
"Draconian silver?"
"The ring he gave her when he proposed, fool!" Ner cried. "Draconian metals are some of the most pure substances in this world! Even our gold can't measure to their copper."
"How in the world did they manage it?" Qual wondered, while they rounded a corner at a strenuous pace.
"You don't know anything, do you?" Ner grumbled, slapping his head as they ran.
"Bodyguards protect, remember?" Qual said, rubbing his head. "They don't kill their charges. Or have you forgotten?"
"My guess is they just cursed it," Elvrn interjected, "seeing that Guaneth is a very powerful being and Wyera is known for her skills in the dark arts."
"Huh," Qual muttered. Stupid genius children these days. . . "So what if they cursed it? We've got to get it off even if it means chopping her finger off!"
"I don't think either of them would appreciate that, you know," Ner said, grinning. "We ought to just hold her with a spell until someone can get close enough to rip it off. Or saw it off. Just the ring, mind."
"What sort of spell could hold a rabid demon who is now able to tap into our Seeress' powers?"
"Guaneth won't be able to access Hitomi's powers," Qual gasped, clutching a stitch in his side and glad he knew something the boy didn't. "Because Hitomi herself did not know they existed, and Hitomi would never allow her to go as far as to harm Van."
"Hitomi can't do anything in her spirit state!" Elvrn argued.
"Oh, yeah? Then tell me what that is!" Qual hissed, drawing them to a halt and pointing.
The knight with long hair, Gaddis Schezar, was standing, horrified, with a small group of soldiers, watching a kneeling Van shaking the Princess Wyera, who was clearly dead.
"Come nearer and he dies!" Guaneth spat, but she was having difficulty controlling her arm as she hovered furiously above the shaking young Lord. Qual could see an ethereal, withering and translucent form of Hitomi fluttering and wrenching at Guaneth's arm.
Qual grabbed his bodyguard's arm.
"Ner-" he breathed. "Do you see him. . .?"
"Huh?" Ner said. "Of course I can see him! And he's about to get creamed!! We have to move!!"
"No. . .not that. . .close your eyes. . ."
"WHAT?! HELL-O, QUAL, OUR CHARGE IS ABOUT TO BE KILLED, AND YOU WANT ME TO CLOSE MY EYES?!!??!?!"
"Shut up, shut up! Close your eyes! The vibrations! There's something wrong with the Dragon spirit! Sense the vibrations!!"
He watched her as she frowned at him momentarily, but closed her eyes all the same. They snapped open a moment later as she realized what he had.
"Dear gods!" Ner whispered. "We have to get them away from each other!!"
"Elvrn, I want you to talk to Knight Gaddis. Understand?" Qual said.
"Yup!" Elvrn said grimly, and scampered towards the knight. Qual and Ner held their breath and let it go in a soft sigh as he made it past the dazed Hitomi.
"What's going on. . .?" Qual asked. "You're more perceptive than I am, usually."
"I dunno. There's something wrong, I can definitely say that. . ." Ner bit her lip, a sign she was doing some serious thinking. "If we could just pull Van further away before the Dragon has a chance to emerge. . ."
"How will we avoid Guaneth. . .?"
"We won't be able to. . ."
Qual watched with concern as the young King shuddered violently and tried to move away from his fiancee, all the while rooted to the ground as the Dragon's vibrations began to take control.
He doesn't want to hurt her. . .but he knows it's going to happen. . .
"Ner-" Qual said suddenly.
"Yes?"
"We have to get away."
"WHAT?!" she yelled, for the second time.
"We have to MOVE!! Dammit, move!!" he grasped her firmly by the elbow and jerked her back into the hallway.
Just in time. With a roar, the Dragon exploded into control, taking with it, the corridor where King Van lay.
****************
As Qual drifted in and out of consciousness, he was vaguely aware of blue eyes watching his every movement.
"High Priestess!"
"Lie still, or the hallway will cave in," she whispered. "I am still steadying it. Listen to me, Qual. You must not allow the Dragon to attack Lady Hitomi."
"Is he alive?"
"Barely, barely. . ."
"And the rest?"
"I do not know."
"Will it cause another explosion?" he asked breathlessly. "If the Dragon attacks her, that is."
"I cannot see. . ." she murmured. "Truly I cannot see. . ."
"What shall I do, High Priestess?"
"I do not know. The power of the Dragon's reverberations and that of the Wing Goddess. . .I cannot see."
She was fading from view.
"Be careful, Qual. Make sure Elvrn comes to no harm. . ."
"Yes, High Priestess."
She was gone. The next minute, he was aware of Ner shaking him and looked up into her brown eyes.
"Ner!"
"Are you okay?" she asked, beginning to dust him off.
"I don't know. Elvrn-Elvrn's still in that hallway-"
"We can't go in. The moment those two get close another explosion with happen."
"So we'll get them far, far away from each other!! Anything could happen, Ner."
"I don't trust such strong magic mixing," Ner grumbled. "If we try to use a spell, who knows how high the vibrations will build?"
"We have to try, Ner."
"You're right," she admitted grudgingly.
"Well, I've never seen my Ner back down from a fight, have you?" he said swiftly.
"Hey!" She grabbed him by the ear. Slowly, they began to sift through the rubble. To their utter amazement, when they arrived back in the corridor where Van was, the entire hall had collapsed, yet had not fallen. Blocks of marble and ivory decorations hung in the air, floating. Guaneth and Van faced off.
"That isn't Van. His reverberations are too violent. . ." Qual said softly. He tapped on the slightly bluish air in front of him and nodded wisely. "It's a shield of some sort, holding up the ceiling. As long as it stands, the hall won't collapse, but we won't be able to get to him. The same goes for the others over there."
"The Dragon!"
"Lord Van!!" Qual yelled, forgetting everything but getting his charge out of harm's way. "Lord Van, if you can hear me, get away from her!!"
The seventeen-year-old ignored him and charged at Guaneth with a feral snarl, Sword lifted and in position. Qual and Ner watched with horrified tension, their faces reflected by Elvrn and the others standing on the other side of the shield.
To their absolute and complete bafflement, Van-no, the Dragon-swung at Hitomi, and missed.
Qual began to sense something else stirring within the Dragon. . .
It lunged again, heading straight for Hitomi's heart, but at the last second, It tripped, yet managing to keep a hold on Its Sword.
The reverberations of a different sort were growing steadily stronger. . .
****************
What the-
Van slowly raised himself from the floor and took careful grip on the Sword, bringing it high above his head before he swung down.
//Gwen. . .//
Huh!? Van felt his arm slowing, felt the Dragon resisting, and this time the Sword flew out of his grasp and into the wall behind him as he was propelled backward a few paces.
The enemy wasn't shielding, and he couldn't understand why he couldn't strike! The frustration was building, yet the Dragon was doing nothing but keeping him from harming her.
:Hitomi-I-I need you. Please help me. Please, Hitomi. Make it stop. Tell it to go away. You're the only one. . .Hitomi. . .I don't want to hurt you. Please help me. . .:
Need to kill. Kill. Blood. . .save Hitomi. Kill. Stupid. Damn. Sword. Why the hell isn't it working?!
//Gwen. . .//
*****************
Qual gasped and gestured wildly at the silver-haired girl who had taken Hitomi's place. Her eyes were a kind violet, and the bells plaited into her hair tinkled. She motioned to Hitomi's form, which let go and drifted away.
"What?" Ner asked. "I don't see anything."
"The girl, the girl!!" Qual cried, almost jumping with anxiety.
"I don't see anything," Ner repeated.
Apparently, only he could see her. Judging by the dumbstruck look on Elvrn's face, and the confusion on Van's, they, too, could see it. To the others, it was still Hitomi.
Her voice was soft when she spoke.
"Ryuu. . .don't you remember me?"
"Gwen. . ." Van whispered. He knelt at her feet, took one ghostly hand and kissed it.
"Look at Van!!" Qual shouted.
Van, too, had vanished. All he saw was a man with bluish hair and a wound in his side that wasn't going to stop bleeding any time soon, but the man paid it no notice, instead gazing with reverence and some shame at the silver-haired maid.
"Ryuu. . ."
"Gwen. . .I'm sorry I-I made a mistake, Gwen-"
"I know, Ryuu."
"Please forgive me," he whispered, bowing his head. "I don't deserve it. This I realize. But. . .please forgive me, Gwen. I can't-I won't-"
"I've forgiven you long ago, Ryuu. I was wondering if. . .if you'd ever do the same for me. . ."
"Gwen. . ." he said fondly, rising and taking both her hands. There was remorse in his eyes. "Gwen, I made a mistake. No. Hear me out, please. I didn't realize until. . .until after I-I-" his voice began to shake, but he steadied it. "I love you, Gwen. Our Lord and his god-damn kingdom and just go on their merry way to hell."
"Ryuu-" she blushed a transparent silver. "Our time is over. I hope you realize that. We both made a mistake and we can't correct it now. Not now, Ryuu."
"I know. I only wanted to see you again before I left for the Fields, Gwen. . .I wanted to know if you'd still have me. . .even now, after so many years. . ."
"It's been a long time, hasn't it. . .?"
"Nothing short of several millennia. . .I've held on long enough, Gwen. I've always wanted to say this, to tell you-"
"Ryuu. . .you know the answer to that. . .It's just. . .part of me doesn't want to forgive you. She won't leave me alone. . .she's forgotten you, forgotten us. Do you know why I hung on to this life, Ryuu? Because I wished to avenge myself upon you. . .I don't think that's what I really wanted. . .not now."
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.
"You could kiss me," she said softly. "Just once, on the cheek. Before anyone notices."
He took her face in his hands and did as she said, solemnly and without any emotion.
"I love you, Gwen," he said softly. "Please know that."
"Ryuu-" Guaneth gasped, beginning to shake. She fell to her knees beside a prostrate and perhaps unconscious Van, holding her head. "No! Begone!! I hate you, Ryuu!! Do you hear me!? I HATE YOU!!!! I-"
She was sobbing openly, her form shifting and fading as it left Hitomi's body. The blue shield had begun to vanish.
Qual grabbed Ner's arm for roughly the fourth time.
"Ner-" he said urgently. "We need to get the ring off."
"But we can't enter the shield-"
"We can't, but Van can."
"YOU FUCKING IDIOT," she yelled at him, "CAN'T YOU GET IT THROUGH YOUR DAMNED THICK HEAD THAT VAN'S UNCONSCIOUS AND WE CAN'T. DO. ANYTHING!!!!!!!"
"We can't do anything, Ner," he said, breathing quickly. The shield was crumbling. "But we have to get Van up."
"How in the fucking hell do we do that?!" she screamed at him. Always worked best under pressure, his Ner.
"I don't know. Let's try something, okay? I'm going to try to shield myself and walk through the other shield so I can wake Van up, so he can get the damn ring off Hitomi's finger. If I a, burn up; b, disintegrate; or c, fall dead, don't follow me. Ne?"
"That's the stupidest fucking plan I ever heard of!!"
That would be the third time she said the word. . .wow. . .I think Ner actually cares about me. . .
"You got a better one?" he snapped and grinned at her silence. "Then just sit tight, Ner. And help me out."
He took a deep breath and started forward. He could feel her power surrounding him, and added his own, chanting softly under his breath.
Well. . .tell my Mom I love her. . .and Ner can have what remains of my fortune. . .Elvrn can have my books. . .Mom, you can have the house. . .
His orange glow soon began to pulse against the blue one.
And little Garell can have my old toys. . .Half of the fortune I gave to Ner needs to go towards a charity or something. . .
Still walking, his breathing was becoming even harsher. Beyond the "glass" wall of the blue shield, Guaneth was still sobbing Ryuu's name. The orange glow began to mesh with the blue. . .
Holy Mother of God. No, holy shit. Sacre merde. Whatever. I'm gonna die. Yes siree, I'm gonna die. No doubts on that one. . .
Ner's magic increased around him, awash with worry and anxiety and all sorts of jumbled emotions. He closed his eyes and summoned up more. From the other side of the shield, he felt Elvrn tap into the power source and begin adding. More magic. The orange glow grew brighter, the warmth increased. Suddenly, he felt more magic. Strong magic.
Van's magic!?
Of course. . .Van's Draconian magic acting without the consent of its owner. . .
But. . .why. . .?
The shield. . .
The shield was transferring Van's magic to him, because. . .Van meant for his magic to be used for good, even if he never knew it existed within him. . .
It made sense that Hitomi's would join in soon. . .yet it never did. . .
"QUAL!! YOU'D BETTER FUCKING MAKE IT!!!" Ner shouted, her voice sounding choked and somewhat strained. "OR I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, D'YOU HEAR ME!?"
That makes a total of five times. . .
Hitomi's magic was fighting his entry. . .because Guaneth could control Hitomi's magic. . .proving his earlier theories untrue, however. . .this was definitely not the time to be testing theories. . .
He pushed his right index finger at the wall and held it there, poking insistently. Slowly, as if he were shoving through a thick vat of wax, his finger fell through, no longer glowing with magic warmth. Feeling very apprehensive, he tried to pull it back out and was greeted by a searing pain. With a yelp, he jerked his finger back in covered with small blisters.
Must be a one-way sort of thing. . .ah, shit, what have I gotten myself into. . .?
He pushed his left hand in next. Then his face.
"HERE I GO!!" he yelled.
And jumped forward.
It was an odd sensation, he decided. The warmth around him was snuffed out, and only the ceaseless feeling of eternal cold. Shivering, feeling wretched and much like an ice block, he moved forward as if walking through syrup.
He tripped over Wyera's body and landed, not heavily, but in slow motion, so that it was a long time between his taking off and hitting the ground.
He landed by Van's face. The King was pale as death, perhaps even more.
"Van!!" he shouted, his voice coming out muffled. He grabbed the King's hand, once again, his own hand moving so slowly he feared it would be too late, then hit Van a few times, to no avail. "Van! Dammit, wake up!!"
//I have no wish to waken. . .//
"Van. . .she needs you!!"
//I know no one. . .I have no wish to waken. . .let me sleep. . .let me sleep forever. . .as I have long wanted to. . .//
"Hitomi needs you, Van. Don't you remember her? Hitomi? Don't you remember Hitomi? All you went through together? You were going to marry her, Van. . .you can't leave her here. Not yet."
//H-Hitomi. . .//
"That's it. . .don't you remember her?"
//Sadly, no. Let me be, mortal. I have no wish to waken. . .//
"I won't let you sleep. Wake up now." He gave Van a hard shake. "D'you hear me, mister? Wake up now!"
//If you wish to die of old age, my persistent and anonymous friend, you will release me at once. . .//
It was the Dragon speaking, he realized.
"I don't care when I die. You can't leave Hitomi. You can't leave your people. You wake up now or I'm going to do something drastic."
//Go jump in a lake; that's drastic enough,// Van's voice said angrily. //Oh. Qual. What exactly are you doing here?//
"Do you want me to burn myself to a crisp, Van Fanel?" Qual demanded. "I can burn the entire world to a crisp."
He was lying, of course. But it didn't matter. He needed to get Van awake again. Once he was conscious, he was sure that everything would be all right.
//You can't.//
"Don't you want to see Hitomi again, Van?"
//Hitomi. . .Hitomi's dead,// Van said miserably. //I killed her. I don't wish to go on without her. Let me sleep, bastard. Let me sleep forever.//
"She isn't dead. You didn't kill her. You never touched her. And you can still save her."
//She's not. . .dead. . .?// This time both the Dragon and Van spoke, Van, with amazement and much joy, the Dragon with much disappointment.
"No, she isn't dead. Just wake up, Van. Wake up. . ."
//Hitomi. . .Hitomi needs me. . .//
Van's eyes snapped open.
"What the fu-"
"Look, I've had enough of that word directed at me for one day, Van."
"Sorry. Where's Hitomi?! I can still save Hitomi. Tell me where she is. Now, dammit!!" he grabbed Qual by the collar.
"Right there," Qual coughed, pointing. "I came in on pretty much a suicide mission. I've got enough magic to send you two out, once you've removed the ring-but-"
"That's funny, that's exactly what I was thinking. I've got enough magic to send you and Hitomi out, okay? You're going to go. I don't give a damn about what you say or think. You're going to take Hitomi and get her out safely. In fact, I don't give a damn what happens to you, either. Just get Hitomi out and tell her I love her, and that I'm sorry."
"Why the hell do you need to have the death wish!? I'm the one with nothing going for me!" Qual shouted. "I don't have anyone! You, Van Fanel, you have someone! Someone who loves you as much as you love her. Someone who would die for you. You're going to go live happily ever after with her, you hear me?!"
"You have someone," Van said, almost accusingly. He was still looking dazed. He pointed outside at Ner, who was pressed up against the shield. "I don't deserve Hitomi anyway. She can find someone much better than me."
Qual was too angry to even feel surprised that Ner cared.
"You goddamn idiot! She loves YOU! She won't take any other, better than you or not!! Now, you listen up. Go get the ring off her finger and destroy it. We can argue about who lives and who dies later."
"What do I do?"
"Just take it off! Saw it off, if you have to!"
"I refuse to damage any part of Hitomi."
"JUST GO!!"
He watched, with bated breath, as Van made it to Hitomi's side and gently lifted her hand. As she looked up with Guaneth's teary yellow and then suddenly Hitomi's green eyes, he smiled at her.
"Hitomi. . .I'm here. . ."
"Van. . ."
With trembling fingers, Van took the ring from her slender hand.
Qual never got the see the rest. At that moment the shield vanished completely, burying the entire hallway and everyone in it.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!! I promise I won't leave you guys hanging long, though!! Well, you've got the figure that the main characters won't die, no guarantee for Gaddis (GRRR! DIE, ALLEN SCHEZAR!!!!), Elvrn, Ner, or Qual. . .but even if they do die, I might bring them back to life for a nice happy finale!!!
I'll be writing again. . .I haven't written in a while because I've been working hard (VERY HARD, Older Sister Pyro) on Science Fair, and now studying for a french exam, and for the most of feb., studying for Chinese SATs and Chinese midterms. . . ^_^ And drawing. Drawing lots and lots and lots. I drew Naria and Eriya last night, in the pose they're in on the cover of the 8th DVD of Escaflowne!!
Actually. . .Older Sister Pyro bought me a pirated version of Escaflowne, the complete series-against the rantings and ravings of Little Brother Pyro, of course. ^_^ It was done by a bunch of Taiwanese, and the English subtitles are kinda bad, but still understandable! The cover of this pirated version had Naria and Eriya situated in the corner!!! ^_^ And can someone please explain to me why Van is seen in that pose, one hand on shoulder, other on waist? Heero Yuy is also seen in that pose occasionally. Older Sister Pyro says it's when the character is depressed, but why should Van be depressed?! He's got Hitomi, Merle, and a million some fangirls who love him almost as much!!!!
^_^ Naria and Eriya look cool. . .but Eriya's chin is too long and Naria's face looks somewhat like a monkey's. . .that's what my dad says, anyway. . .waaah. . .soooooo tired. . .
ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER, VERY WELCOME!!!
Buh-bai!! ^_^
PS: For anyone who's interested. . .
I dreamed last night that I had to wrestle this really cute boy in the snow. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was an anime character. . .at any rate, he was winning, then suddenly, my Yami (who looked somewhat like evil Bakura) pops out and pins him. When I wake up, I feel sick. I'm sneezing a lot and now I've got a runny nose. Ya think it's from wrestling cute anime bishies in the snow, wearing nothing but a skimpy swimsuit?
(^_^ this is how you know it's a dream . . .I was thin enough to look good in that damn suit. . .) ^_^