Date. 09.01.2002
Time. 1.24 pm
Music. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - Nikki French
Chapter 11

Copyright. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or any of its characters, just those that I have created.

Author's Notes. SO! I have to mention this because I am SO proud. Since everyone has vamoosed off to college, I have been spending every day with my friends Kristin and Ninni. They wanted me to start watching soap operas with them, so we made this deal: for every episode of Port Charles that I watch, they have to watch an episode of Escaflowne. But they ended up watching the entire series within 3 days! One day with 10 episodes and the other with 11! They were stallions! I am so proud of them! I can watch the whole series straight, but that feat has definitely put them in the Escaflowne Club.

The Vision of Escaflowne. Parvulus de Crepuscid

Chapter 11. A Moment Like This

* * *

Sellie was aware that others also knew of her father's heritage, and therefore, they also must have known of this secret that had been kept from her until now. She noticed, too, as she boarded the Crusade that sorrowful eyes followed her every which way. Gaddes and several other members offered her food and water and asked if she was alright. She thought that they were just sympathetic. Even when she was in her private chamber, a knock would interrupt her thoughts every five minutes. She sought solitude.

And the only solitude she could find was inside of the Guymelef hanger in the back of the ship.

As she walked across the cool metal floor with her bare feet, she could see the tips of Dralion's leathery wings each time he beat them as he flew slowly behind. Could he read her mind and hear her thoughts within this ship? She hoped not. She just wanted to escape from her new-found life for a little while. Or maybe longer than that.

She leaned against the far wall and slouch into a sitting position. She folded her arms across her knees and lowered her head into them, hair spilling forward. She could feel her hot tears seeping out of her shut lids.

I feel so alone…

"I believe that you may feel many things right now, but I know that you are definitely *not* alone, dear heart."

Sellie lifted her head quickly as soon as the first words were spoken. She rubbed her eyes to see a middle-aged woman standing before her in what looked like Fanelian fashion. Her long, straight, dark hair flowed behind her as she held her hands folded in front.

"Who are you?" Sellie asked. "I've never seen you before on the Crusade. Are you new?"

The woman smiled slightly. "No, not really. I may be new to you, but I certainly have been around for a long time."

"Huh? I'm… not really… sure of what you…"

"Sellie, I'm your grandmother."

Sellie still remained sitting, but her eyes changed from teary to confused. "So… you're my grandmother… meaning that you're my mother's mother… right?"

The woman shook her head slowly. "My name is Varie," she said. "Varie Fanel."

"Fanel? But that means… that you're a…" Sellie jumped to her feet. "Oh my gods!"

A hand rested on her left shoulder and squeezed slightly. She whipped her head around to see a young man with light-colored hair falling into his face. He had the same eyes as her father.

"Where'd you come from?!" she screamed.

"Sshhh… you wanted peace and quiet didn't you?" he said in a rich voice. "If you keep on screaming like that, everyone's going to know where you are."

Her eyes were wide with fear as she returned to her seat. "Who are you?" she quivered.

The man smiled as he walked over to Varie. "Folken," he replied.

Sellie didn't move for a moment or two, but she finally lifted her hand to her forehead. "Gods…" she whispered.

Varie walked to her and kneeled before her. "Sellie, do not be afraid of us. We are, after all, family." She took Sellie's hand away from her forehead and held it with both of her hands. "Folken and I have watched over you and Van and Hitomi for years. We mean no harm."

Sellie looked up into her mahogany eyes with wonder. Those eyes matched her father's. At the touch of her hand, she felt a tingly sensation within her heart. The same feeling that she had felt with Dralion: trust. Varie's hands weren't what she expected from a spirit. They were warm and comforting, not cold and ghostlike. And that she could actually *feel* them gave her some assurance.

"Why are you here?" she whispered.

Varie stood up and helped her up to her feet. "Well, you are running out of time, my dear," she said. "You have to go find and rescue your mother within four days and you have just discovered this whole other side to yourself that you must master within those four days." She looked over at Folken. "My son and I are going to…just help you open your eyes to all these new possibilities that you would not have imagined."

Sellie lost her patience that she had been holding back for so long. "I don't want to 'imagine' these new 'possibilities' Grandmother! I don't want to be this prophesized person that I'll save both this world and the Mystic Moon! Yesterday, I was living my normal life: as a princess. Even that, I have way too many responsibilities! I don't want to have the Power of Atlantis! I don't want to be talking to spirits of worlds and ghosts! I don't even want to be a princess! I just want to me!"

She collapsed to her knees, hugging herself as sobs racked her small frame. She felt a strong hand rubbing her back to comfort her.

"Nobody is asking you to be a completely different person, Sellie," Folken whispered into her ear so only she could hear. "You have been and always will be Selmé Rynna de Fanel. That is who you are. No one can take that away from you, not even Gaea. Just be this as well." He paused. "Think of this as a special talent, like sword-fighting or horseback riding. Just a little more special then that."

He kissed her forehead and looked into her glistening eyes. "Will you be this as well?" he asked softly.

She inhaled deeply, then gave him a nod, wiping away her excess tears. "What must I do?" she asked.

"Here… take my hand," he said, giving her an open palm. She immediately took it with her own and they both stood to meet Varie. She, too, greeted Sellie with a hand and joined with Folken, therefore, completing the triangle. She glanced at her son, then back to her granddaughter.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Sellie nodded again. "Wait!" she cried.

"What, dear?"

"I just have one question."

"Yes?"

"Well, it's just that Dad is a Draconian as well as Mom. And I'm assuming that you are, or were… Uncle Folken, and you too?"

Varie nodded. "You are correct."

She breathed in. "So what does that make me?" she asked finally.

Varie smiled again. "Only that you are a fledging child of Atlantis who has yet learned how to fly. Don't worry, dear. I'm sure that we'll see the appearance of your new… limbs, soon enough."

And at the end of her sentence, Varie, Folken, and the Guymelef chamber within the Crusade disappeared into darkness. She had no feeling of fear, though, for she felt their presence still surrounding her, still watching over her.

And then, she felt a part of her that was buried deep inside for so long. A part of her that she was missing. A small spark, dim and tiny, but still strong, hidden among her wishes and dreams. It had been sleeping for so long, waiting only for its time to awake and live. She took a hold of that light and held it tightly, believing in it and believing in herself. With each passing moment, it grew brilliant underneath her fingers until it had filled the empty space surrounding her with light. She could feel the encouragement of her grandmother and uncle around her, influencing to keep on going.

It was so simple, this new strength. In a flash, she Saw her parents when they were young, when they first met. She Saw the love that they had for each other, how it was an ancient love passed through Time. She Saw what Dornkirk was after, that "perfect" world at the loss of the inhabitants' free will. She Saw how her father fought Allen…how her mother was held inside of the Empire… At last, she understood why the Power of Atlantis was supposed to remain dormant until the right time. If it had fallen into the hands of the Zaibach Empire… or any enemy, for that matter, there would be no stopping that person. This power of the heart, the mind, the soul… it had to be pure. It had to be apart of someone who was responsible and good… and her mother was the perfect choice. Then, it would be passed on to her, and to her daughter, and then to her granddaughter, and so on.

She heard a voice… neither male nor female… but more like a chorus that spoke to her in a foreign language that she could understand. It comforted her, telling her that this gift was important. She learned instantly how not to be just a vessel defending this Power, but to use it as well, become one with it. It was her destiny.

And she accepted this destiny, finally feeling the release from within.

* * *

"So…" Van said in the stillness. "That's about it."

After his explanation of what had happened from their capture at Cassia to Gaea's earthly lair, there was a brief moment of silence. Van sipped a cup of water as his eyes moved about the room from person to person.

Allen stood with his arms across his chest. Millerna had called in Dryden to hear Van's story, so she and her husband sat upon the cushioned benches, her head resting upon his shoulder. Rouen fidgeted next to them, changing his sitting position various times. Gaddes and Celena leaned against the wall, although they were not right next to each other, still wary of Allen. Other members of the crew were working at their stations, but managed to listen to most of his story.

The Knight Caeli was the first to speak. "So, we're going to find Tarn… and then what?"

"…and then we'll find out where Hitomi is."

Allen uncrossed his arms and put them on his hips. "And how exactly are you planning on doing that?" he asked.

Van lifted his head and looked him directly in the eyes. "What are you implying, Allen?" he said, cautiously working his words.

"Van, have you actually thought this through?" he asked sternly, raising his voice. "You are talking about taking on an entire country with just my crew members. And then you'll simply *ask* Tarn where her location is? What if he doesn't say anything? What then? You'll have no idea where she is. You are not thinking clearly right now." He moved closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I know you would do anything for Hitomi. You know I would too. But you have to realize that some things are impossible to achieve."

Van stood up from where he was sitting, knocking away his hand. "What are you saying? That you won't help?"

"All I'm saying is that you're reaching for things that may not be there," he said calmly.

Van stared at him with hurt and anger appearing in his eyes. He brushed past Allen and headed towards the control room's exit.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

Van stopped, but did not turn around. "I'm going to talk with my daughter," he answered slowly. Then, he left.

Celena pushed herself off of the wall and followed him. Gaddes' eyes trailed after her. So did Allen's.

She ran down the hallway and entered the sleeping chambers' section of the ship. She slowed down and walked towards the room that was given to Sellie for rest. Van burst out of the doorway just at the moment that Celena was going to enter.

"Van?"

"She's not in the damn room," he spat in a fury, racing down the hall. Celena caught up with him and grabbed his upper arm.

"Van, calm down! She couldn't have gotten far. She can't have left the leviship, right?" she said.

He stopped and lowered his head, exhaling loudly. "You're right," he surrendered.

Her hand went lower and took his own hand in hers. "C'mon. I'll help you find her." She squeezed it gently as they headed down to the storage area.

He looked at her and could not help and smile. "Thank you, Celena," he murmured.

"Besides, Allen's still pissed off at me for not telling him…" she paused.

"What, about you and Gaddes?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Was it that noticeable?" she whispered. "Allen is such a stubborn ass. He still thinks that he can make my own decisions for me." A tear slipped down her cheek.

"You know he's only looking out for you, Celena," Van said. "That is the duty of the older brother… to look out for their younger siblings. He's protecting you from the horrors of the world." He stopped. "I guess, that's what Folken did for me."

"I'm sorry my memories of Dilandau don't include him," she said. "I'm sure that I would have liked your brother. But do those horrors include Gaddes?" she sniffed. "I know about some of the things he did in his past, but he's changed now. And I know that Allen cares for me deeply. I care for him just as much. But he has to learn that I grew up a long time ago and I need to live my own life."

"And you've discussed this with him?"

"Well…" she started, giggling a little. "Besides all the yelling and shouting?"

"You need to sit down with him and Gaddes and tell him the truth -- without yelling," Van advised.

Celena looked over at him with a glimmer in her eye and a smile on her face. Van caught her look. "What?" he asked.

"Look at you!" she said. "You with all the relationship advice. Weren't you coming to me for help at some point?"

He snorted. "Yeah… I followed your advice and look where it's gotten me."

Celena's smile suddenly turned sullen. "I told you before that I will help you find Hitomi. I will not go back on my word."

"Thank…" he broke off in mid-sentence, his eyes staring straight ahead.

"Van… what is it?" she asked.

"Look… the Guymelef chamber door is ajar. What if she…" he paused again, his steps growing closer to the room. He peered in, his eyes scanning the space.

And catching something that made his jaw drop in awe.

"What is…" Celena looked in and saw what he saw.

Sellie stood in the center of the room, just in front of Allen's sitting Guymelef. Her eyes were closed in some sort of trance and was holding her hands up, palms facing towards the large entry.

But it was her large Draconian wings that had taken their attention.

"Sellie…" he whispered. "Sellie!"

Whatever reverie she was in, she snapped out of at the sound of his voice. Van began to walk in the room, but Celena held him back.

"Celena, what are you…" he said, annoyed.

"Please, save yourself from her embarrassment and your own," she said quickly, then ran to the girl.

"Sellie, turn around, hon," she said, falling to her knees. "You've ripped your shirt. I'm just going to tie it so you're not exposed."

"Huh?" she said, then looked down at her now-shredded shirt hanging scarcely about her almost-bare frame. Her arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her body. "Wait, how did my shirt rip? I don't remember…" she turned her head to look back at Celena behind her, but all she saw were feathers and white.

"My gods…" she murmured. "It happened, it really happened…"

"There!" Celena said triumphantly. "All done!" She motioned for Van to come in, then moved out of the way.

"Sellie…" he said hoarsely, his eyes gleaming. "How did you…? I never showed you…"

She was still stunned as she touched the floating feathers floating around her. They were coming from her. "Wait… where's Uncle Folken? And Grandmother?"

"Folken? Sellie, what are you talking about?" Van asked, still looking at her wings.

"Uncle Folken and Grandmother were here, Dad," she said, looking around the chamber. "They were helping me with the Power of Atlantis and stuff. And… and I saw you with Mom when you were younger. And now I understand everything…" She collapsed to her knees, her wings hiding her. "I swear to the gods that they were here."

Van knelt down besides her and parted her feathers so that he could look into her face. "I believe you, Sellie," he whispered. "I have seen them before as well. They are looking out for us."

She looked up at him and nodded.

"How do you feel," he asked.

"I'm fine… I guess, a little shocked… but fine."

He started to smile. "So… you wanna learn how to use them?"

"What do you mean… 'learn'?" she asked curiously.

He took her hands and lifted her to her feet. He looked over at Celena and winked as he took off his shirt and tossed it at her. With a deep breath and concentration, his own wings emerged from their hiding place. Celena realized his plan and hurried over to the control panel, slamming her hand down on the entrance opener button. The loud noise of churning gears lowered the door and the platform where Sellie and Van stood moved out of the Crusade.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this," he said to her.

The wind whipped around them and caused the shed feathers to dance about them. Sellie's loose hair continuously fell into her eyes as she tried tucking them behind her ear. Still holding onto Van's hand, she looked towards the ground. They were a lot higher than she had imagined. The Crusade was now flying just above the blanket of clouds.

She clung tighter to his hand and took a step back. "Gods…" she breathed. But curiosity overwhelmed her and she returned to her original position and toed the edge of the platform.

"We don't have to go if you don't want to, Sellie," Van said, looking at her with caution.

"No, no… just give me a minute…" she replied. She looked up to see Dralion flying lazily behind the leviship, his great golden eyes focused directly on her.

* It is only the initial jump that is frightening, child, * she heard him say to her mind. * However, once thee has fallen, it is a whole new world. *

She looked at the great beast, then nodded in affirmation. "Alright, what must I do first?" she asked.

Van smiled. "We'll start off easy. I don't want you to strain yourself on your first day. Now, I want you to get used to them. They kind of feel awkward at first, but soon, they'll actually feel like a part of you. Stretch them all the way out."

She closed her eyes and focused on the area where she thought her muscles controlling them would be. Then, treating them as if they were an extra set of arms, she extended them to full length.

"Good, good… now, we are going to glide on air currents. All we have to do now is jump."

Jump. Easier said than done when you're standing thousands of feet above the ground. But each passing moment that Sellie stood at the edge, she became more comfortable at this height.

She squeezed Van's hand and nodded. "Okay…" she exhaled.

"On the count of three, alright?" he said. She nodded again and closed her eyes.

It's so easy…

"Three…"

All I have to do is…

"Two…"

…jump.

"One."

When she was older and looked back on this day, Sellie would not remember her leap into nothingness. She couldn't remember not falling like a rock to the ground below. She didn't remember when Van let go of her hand.

All she could remember were the little things: magically feeling as light as air… the wind underneath her wings that caused her to lift higher into the sky… the way that it felt so natural to be doing this… flying.

She opened her eyes wide and looked around her. Van was right next to her, watching her every move and a smile stretching across his face. She held her arms out as if they were wings themselves. She heard Dralion give a roar of joy above as they flew together beneath him. She smiled and laughed, the first time she had done so since she could not recall.

"Okay, now you're going to need to beat them in order to regain alt…" Van was beginning to say, but Sellie jumped ahead of him. Growing confident with every stroke, she flapped them strongly and banked a turn to head back towards the Crusade.

"Sellie!" he shouted in surprise, then did a sharp turn to follow her.

She started to soar again, just underneath of the Crusade. She saw Celena cheering her on in the Guymelef hanger, then disappear from her view. The leviship was chugging away at a comfortable speed, enabling Sellie to keep ahead of it a little.

"C'mon, Dad! I'll race you!" she shouted over the motors back at Van, who had just caught up with her. She began to beat her wings stronger, but he playfully grabbed her bare ankle and pulled her back behind him.

"HEY!"

* * *

"Boss, we will be arriving at Cassia within seven hours," Teo announced. "That puts us there about four hours after sunset so we'll have the cover of nighttime once we hit the borders."

"Good," Allen replied. "That will hopefully give us enough time to come up with some sort of plan for…"

A sudden burst of the bridge door broke his sentence. Celena barged in and raced towards the windows at the front.

"Celena, what do you think you're…"

"Van's teaching Sellie how to fly!" she cried, panting since she had just run all the way from the Guymelef chamber.

There were loud rustles of movement as people raced to the window next to Celena. Rouen shoved his way through and placed his hands against the glass.

"There!" Celena shouted and pointed to the left.

Everyone followed her finger to Van, who had just broken through the clouds no more than twenty feet away from the Crusade, Sellie following right behind him. Her smiling face showed no trace of fear, but more of an experienced look. Van asked her something and she nodded. He angled his wings together and dove back down. Sellie followed his suit, but just before she disappeared beneath the clouds, she managed to catch the eye of a certain young man. She waved at Rouen, then brought her wings in close and fell towards the ground.

"Gods… she looks so amazing…" he whispered to only himself.

* * *

The sound of insects was the only noise emitted from where Hitomi sat before the campfire, toying the unknown ring between her fingers. She noticed that engraved on the inside in fine cursive were words that carried such love in them: "From now till forever." Those words were from someone who loved her. She sighed and put the ring back on her finger.

The heat of the day had not vanished when the sun sank below the earth, but she welcomed the warm glow of the flame. It seemed like it protected her from the dangers of the unknown jungle.

Throughout the day, she had subsided with only her thoughts. Ashira continuously shoved her back into the tent as she worked on the Temple. Finally, by mid-afternoon, she allowed her out, diagnosing her fine except for the lack of memory. She had tried keeping to herself, but would ask Ashira little questions that she hoped would ignite some spark in her head.

No such luck.

"Eat up," Ashira said from behind her. She swung one leg over the log and slumped into a sitting position. She practically slammed a sandwich into Hitomi's chest as she voraciously ate hers. Hitomi took the bread and looked at it with a blank stare, then placed it onto her lap.

"Sorry. Not really hungry," she said.

Ashira shrugged her shoulders. "Your loss," she replied, then continued cramming into her mouth.

Silence loomed over the two as crackles from the fire popped loudly. Finally, Hitomi spoke up.

"Why was my husband murdered?"

Ashira looked up, but did not say anything.

"Look, I'm just curious," she continued. "I mean, we *were* together, and although I don't remember this person at all, there is a sense of grief I feel."

She did not answer right away as she collected her thoughts while finishing what she was eating. "It was because of what you are," she said.

"What I am? I don't understa..."

"I'm going to tell you something that you will probably find hard to believe," Ashira interrupted. "But you have to. It's the truth and you will need to believe for what is coming up in a few days. You have heard of the legend of Atlantis, right?"

Hitomi nodded. "What I can remember. It was some Greek folktale or whatever about a lost continent. In Plato's writings, it said that it was swallowed by the sea thousands of years ago. Atlantis was also famous for being ahead of its time with technology. And that there was some sort of power."

Ashira looked at her in the eye. "Atlantis did exist, Hitomi. Other cultures besides the Greeks have some type of evidence that the continent was real. It even got all the way out here in this country.

"You and I… a little while ago, we stumbled onto this dig site by accident. Well, not completely on accident, but it kind of fell into our laps. This site contains within it the location of where we could retain this 'power' that you just mentioned, the Power of Atlantis.

Some how, we received a portion of what this Power truly is. It's the Power of the Mind, Hitomi. It amplifies what we already have to a higher degree. It has enabled us to do extraordinary things."

Hitomi raised her eyebrow. "Do you honestly think that you expect me to believe this bullsh…" she began to say, but lost her train of thought as the fire suddenly disappeared. Within a second, it burst back into flame, but instead of being its orangey flavor, it was a deep blue.

"What just happened?" she asked slowly.

"I just thought of making the fire vanish and it happened. Then I changed the color," Ashira replied. "You can do it too, you know. You can do anything you want to."

"I don't want to change anything… I want the fire to be its normal color!" She raised her voice at the end and subconsciously waved her hand over the flames. It instantly turned back to its bright orange.

She looked down at her hand in confusion. "Did…"

"Nope, not there," Ashira shoved her hand away. "Here." She tapped her finger on Hitomi's forehead. "There is more to learn than cheap magic tricks though. It's a little more complicated than that.

"Here's the theory I have: we have to search for this Sacrificial Room where the natives performed their deepest magic. I've read texts saying that the Atlanteans traveled the world, expanding their knowledge or something. That's how so many cultures knew of them. They have come here, to this Temple, and given their wisdom and power to these people. I think that they believed the people would cherish such a gift.

"But, unlike the Atlanteans, *these* people knew of its potential danger and were able to harness it. That's how Atlantis was destroyed. The Power overcame them."

"But that doesn't explain why *we* have it… or what happened to my husband," Hitomi pointed out.

"This wasn't the first time we have been to this temple," Ashira continued. "We were here a year ago, when I heard rumors about this place. I put two and two together and I asked you for your help. You and your husband were inseparable, so he decided to come along too." She paused. "But someone else also figured out about this place, and they wanted the Power for themselves. We got here first and uncovered it, but at great costs."

"My husband," Hitomi said flatly.

"He was killed in front of your eyes when you would give up the Power to the guy," she continued. "We barely managed to escape with our own lives. But we had to come back here for this date: May 12, 2016, because we need to make sure that the rest of the Power doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

"You mean, take more within us?" Hitomi said.

"Yes."

There was more silence as the older woman sat hunched over, staring deeply into the fire. Ashira sucked in her breath, hoping that she would not ask many more questions. So far, it looked like that her lies were being believed. But when the time would come when things would get complicated, she didn't know how much further she would go.

"So what other things can I do?" Hitomi inquired finally.

"Even with the small portion that we uncovered, you can still do a lot with it. And it won't take you long to get the hang of living like a goddess."

"Well, why don't we work on it tonight?" she offered. "That way, I can be ready just in case that guy came back."

Ashira smiled with a flare in her eye. The lust for revenge. "Then lets get to work," she said coolly.

to be continued…

* * *

*UPDATE 09.11.2002* So right now, I am on the road driving across this lovely country of America to school and during one of my insomnia spells, decided to finish off this chapter. Its been bugging me because things aren't working out just right in my head so it's going to be awhile until the next chapter comes out. Plus, my classes start up in a week so all my free time will be cut significantly. I must say, its been a great trip so far. Who would have thought that a Toyota Corolla could make it this far? My little Bob is a wonderful car.

PS. I finally finished my picture of my surfboard. My dad plans on taking it down to the beach to show everyone what I do when I'm bored out of my mind.

Chapter title comes from the new song "A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson. Yes, I have become an addict to American Idol and I was so happy when she won.